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Title

A Comprehensive Approach to Enhance Older Adults’ Preparedness for Extreme Heat: COPE -Engage 

Abstract

Climate change has led to more extreme heat days, with older adults being disproportionately affected due to physiological vulnerabilities and systemic barriers. We conduct focus groups with older adults and semi-structured interviews with community experts (e.g., healthcare and housing providers, city planners, community service providers, etc.) to identify barriers and facilitators in existing heat response strategies. Focus groups aim to offer insights into lived experiences, to understand how older adults interpret and respond to heat-related issues as they manage extreme heat and use community services. Questions cover topics such as awareness, preparedness, vulnerability, socioeconomic influence, thermal comfort, and heat relief. Community experts are asked about access and quality of community facilities, services, and programs to mitigate and manage extreme heat. Focus groups and interviews will be conducted throughout summer 2025 and preliminary findings will be available by the conference. Data will be transcribed and analyzed to provide an overview on the complexity of service and program delivery during extreme heat events. We anticipate that older adults who are supported through specific community-based organizations during heat events have better awareness of risks. Transportation will also play a key role in utilization of these services, with lack of adequately designed transit stops as a barrier. We expect community organizations to highlight the need for multi-sectoral collaboration. Both groups will be asked about the need for more effective communication and awareness campaigns surrounding the risks factors of extreme heat events. Our multi-year approach will include co-creation workshops to refine intervention strategies.