Increased heat: What does it mean for older Australians?
By AAG members Ms Mehak Oberai, Senior Research Assistant - Ethos Project, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University and Dr Steven Baker, Senior Lecturer, School of Human Services and Social Work, Griffith University; with Dr Jennifer Warburton, Emeritus Professor, The John Richards Centre for Rural Ageing Research, Latrobe University Ethos Research Affiliate and Dr Shannon Rutherford, Associate Professor, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University
Over the past few years, Australia has not witnessed the long stretch of scorching temperatures experienced in the northern hemisphere, where heatwaves have resulted in population disruption and major public health challenges. Around 61,000 deaths were attributable to heatwaves in Europe during the summer of 2022, and this mortality impact is predicted to have increased over the 2023 summer. Our sunburnt country is now bracing for a period of hot, dry summers driven by the emerging El Nino cycle, and concerns are mounting over how this will impact the Australian population, particularly older people.
For older people, extreme heat can impact both morbidity and mortality due to a range of factors, including physiological factors such as loss of thermoregulation, increased incidence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and respiratory issues, and various socio-economic factors, such as living alone and costs of cooling. Yet we know little about older people’s awareness of heat health risks, their perceptions, or attitudes about cooling behaviours.
In 2022, the Ethos (extreme heat and older persons) research team, at Griffith University conducted a statewide survey to assess the heat risk knowledge, perception, and cooling behaviour of older Queenslanders (n=547), as part of a bigger study to develop an individualised early warning system for heatwaves in order to improve ageing in place.
The findings of the Ethos survey highlight the need to raise awareness around heat health risks and heat preparedness in this cohort. Although there was high awareness of heat as an extreme event for the country (89%) there was low awareness of heat as a health risk among older Queenslanders (only 25%). A large proportion of respondents (87%) reported suffering from chronic health conditions with 70% of them suffering from cardiovascular, respiratory, or renal issues which are known to be exacerbated by heat. Yet over a quarter (39%) of these respondents did not know that having a chronic condition makes them more susceptible to heat or increases their risk of hospitalisation. While over a half (58%) of the respondents would go to their primary healthcare providers if they felt unwell during hot weather a large proportion (78%) did not recall being told by a health professional that their h
ealth problems could make them more susceptible to heat health impacts.
These findings point to an urgent need to promote awareness of the dangers of extreme heat amongst older people, particularly those with chronic health conditions. It also suggests that primary healthcare providers can play a key role in this. It is crucial for older people to have a heatwave action or response plan in place with their GP or other health care provider as part of health assessments and care planning for a heatwave situation.
A heat-response plan may incorporate factors such as medications that interfere with thermoregulation or response to heat, links to community resources, and disease profiles. This clearly highlights the role that primary healthcare professionals can play in supporting older people to be prepared for a heatwave and avoid potential deaths but also raises questions about the preparedness of the aged care sector, particularly those involved with in-home care responsibilities.
With intensity and frequency of heat events expected to increase in Australia, we need to better prepare our vulnerable populations. If all concerned stakeholders take action to create awareness of ‘heat as a health issue’ we can protect our older population from this silent killer by making them more aware and helping them to be better prepared.
This blog is also available as a pdf.