When Climate Change Meets Aging: Protecting the Health of Our Elders
Original Characters by Renwu Beijing, November 11, 2024 As extreme weather becomes more frequent, how will climate change impact each of our daily lives? Lu Hui, a doctor at a public hospital in Zhaoqing, Guangdong, with 16 years of clinical emergency experience, believes that its effects are far beyond what most people imagine. In his view, elderly people with pre-existing conditions have become an involuntary “climate-sensitive” group. They are more prone to heatstroke during heat waves, and their chronic conditions often worsen when cold fronts arrive. Zhaoqing, a city at the intersection of urban and rural areas in the Pearl River Delta, has seen many young people from villages migrate to the cities for work, leaving behind many “empty nest” elderly. Lu often encounters these elderly patients. In 2022, he began a long-term research project aimed at helping the elderly adapt to climate change. Together with volunteers, he visited nursing homes and communities in Zhaoqin...