Climate Change and Its Effect on Aging and Disability

Climate change is an ever-growing threat to humanity, with research documenting the various impacts it can have on human health. These changes to the Earth’s natural system have resulted in multiple adverse effects, including increasing days of extreme temperatures, stronger storms and hurricanes, longer wildfire seasons, and worse air quality. Many groups are at an increased risk of being negatively affected by these changes, particularly older adults. However, while older adults are more vulnerable to the negative health effects associated with climate change, less is known about the mechanisms through which this vulnerability manifests, and even less is known about how it pertains specifically to those with late-life disability. To better understand this, we used the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) framework of disability to provide an overview of the effects of climate change on the health of older adults with disabilities. In this chapter, we use this framework to specifically examine three climate change-related effects: extreme temperatures, hurricanes, and wildfires and air pollution, and the potential pathways through which these act on the health of older adults with disabilities. The potential for adaptative changes in the face of climate change is also examined through the use of accommodations or modifications to behaviors or activities done when confronted with these climate effects. Finally, potential public health interventions are discussed.