Western Canada’s 2021 heatwave will happen again: Why we need to better protect older adults

Abstract

The sweltering heat experienced by Canadians during the 2021 heatwave in western Canada is a stark reminder that climate change is not just some far-off problem. It is already here, and we are already reeling from its impacts. Previously thought to be a once-in-a-millennium event, extreme events like this one could occur with a frequency of once every five to ten years. Compared to the rest of the population, older adults – an increasingly large share of the Canadian population – are more susceptible to heat-related trauma because of impaired thermoregulatory responses from aging and other chronic conditions. The compounded effect of climate change and an increasingly older population will necessitate that we expand the availability of health resources and the capacity of health systems in response to these stressors. Our current health care funding mechanisms, as they stand, do not address either of these problems. This commentary explores how the increasing frequency and intensity of temperature extremes impact older adults at both an individual and health systems level. Climate-related stressors in an aging demographic will require that we redefine health resilience – including a serious conversation about health systems resources – and how we currently operationalize it in the Canadian context.