Older people who live alone or face social disadvantage currently have no way to know when a heatwave poses a personal health risk. Existing heat warning systems broadcast the same alert to an entire city, ignoring whether a person has reduced ability to sweat, takes medications that impair temperature regulation, or lives in a flat that traps heat. This project will build a software application that combines climate data with an individual’s health profile to give tailored, actionable advice—such as when to open windows, drink extra water, or seek a cooler space. The researchers are co-designing the system with older adults to ensure it is usable by people who are not digitally confident. If successful, the tool could shift heat-health protection from a one-size-fits-all broadcast to a personalised alert that helps vulnerable people keep their homes safe during extreme heat events. The project will also produce a toolkit of research findings and code libraries, creating a foundation that could later be adapted for other at-risk groups or countries.
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Our world is heating up. WHO estimates that the number of persons exposed to extreme heat increased by around 125 million from 2000 to 2016. Climate change will increase the frequency, intensity, and duration of these extreme heat events globally. It is important to find ways to protect the most vulnerable from increasing heat-health risks. Older people are particularly vulnerable - exacerbated by reduced thermoregulatory function and high comorbidity. While existing heat warning systems target whole populations, response systems that consider individualised risk profiles for older citizens are largely missing. There is an urgent, unmet need for innovative solutions to enable older people, especially those who are isolated or socially disadvantaged, to effectively monitor and mitigate extreme heat effects. This project will develop an individualised, early warning system to protect vulnerable older populations from increased heat risks. Our co-design approach combines best evidence in climate-heat-health impact research and advances in digital technologies. Key outputs will include a toolkit of research findings & code libraries, a community of practice, and a localised software application. Together, these outputs will enable older people to maintain healthy and safe home environments and provide a robust platform for expansion towards other sub-populations or countries.
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