Weather study shows risk to elderly
Services are likely to buckle under the pressure of providing care to older Britons in the face of a changing climate if future planning is not put in place. A recent study shows areas likely to be home to large proportions of older people in the coming decades could be among those most at risk from extreme weather, such as heatwaves and floods.
Services are likely to buckle under the pressure of providing care to older Britons in the face of a changing climate if future planning is not put in place.
A recent study shows areas likely to be home to large proportions of older people in the coming decades could be among those most at risk from extreme weather, such as heatwaves and floods.
Researchers of the study, led by Durham University and Heiort-Watt University in Edinburgh, warns many areas projected to see an increase in extreme weather may need to care for a high proportion of over 65s as longevity expands.
The researchers cautioned people after mapping out which parts of the country were likely to see an increase in severe weather as a result of climate change, alongside projections for where England’s ageing residents will be living in the 2030s.
They claimed coastal areas, which will be at a higher risk of flooding by the 2050s, are likely to have the greatest number of older people, whereas in the south west, older people will make up about 30% to 40% of the population by the 2030s. This area will be most at risk from heatwaves, where the elderly are particularly vulnerable, researchers allege.
Areas including the east of England, North West, Yorkshire and Humber are expected to see the greatest increase in heatwaves.
While England is notorious for cold weather, researchers say cold snaps will become less common, but they will still occur, and pose a “serious threat” to older people as they may be “less able” to cope with it.
“Planning ahead for the growth in the older population, we need to think about the health and social care they will need, and make sure health and social care services are able to function in hot and cold weather,” Professor Sarah Curtis, of Durham University told UKPA Media.
