Climate resilience for an aging nation

Danielle Arigoni

Book - 2023

"Our climate crisis is resulting in more frequent and more intense extreme weather events. The US population is aging (by 2034, the US will have more people over 65 than under 18). Older adults often have challenges in preparing for and responding to a disaster (limited mobility, cognitive challenges, financial and housing instability) that the disaster management and health-care communities are not prepared to address, in spite of the evidence that older adults are disproportionately affected by natural disasters. There is very little written about the intersection of these trends. It is precisely this challenge - understanding how the many dimensions of vulnerability intersect with and compound climate impacts on older adults - that ...is at the heart of this book. Danielle argues that we cannot achieve true resilience until communities adopt interventions that work to meet the needs of their oldest. The book explores how older adults experience climate-related risk, why resilience interventions look different when designed with the needs of older adults in mind, and how to integrate age-friendly resilience into community planning and disaster preparedness efforts. The author draws from her experience in hazard planning and leading the livable communities program at AARP to make a strong case for prioritizing the needs of our most vulnerable citizens. She provides practical steps and some examples of what is being done at all levels of government and by NGOs. While there are examples sprinkled throughout the book, the chapter on models takes a more in depth look at New York State; Portland, Oregon and Multnomah County; and New Orleans"-- more