Health Impact of Climate Change on Older Adults Living With Dementia: A Scoping Review

Relatively little is known about the association between climate change, climate variability, weather, and health among older adults living with dementia, who face heightened risks. Our aim was to conduct a scoping review of the global published literature regarding the effects of climate change, climate variability, and weather on emergency department visits, hospitalizations, falls, morbidity, and mortality among older adults (≥ 65 years) living with dementia. Relevant subject headings and synonyms for concepts related to dementia, weather, climate change, climate variability, and health were used in the electronic search of five databases. Reviewers independently screened abstracts and then selected full texts to extract data from the included studies following PRISMA scoping review guidelines. Nineteen studies from the United States of America, Germany, Italy, Finland, China, Japan, and Australia were included. Heat waves were the most investigated climate-sensitive events (n = 9). Mortality (n = 10) and hospitalizations (n = 9) were the most frequently studied health endpoints. Extreme heat events were associated with increased hospitalizations and mortality among older adults living with dementia. Extreme cold events were also reported as increasing mortality. Heat waves and wildfires were found to exacerbate neuropsychiatric symptoms. Existing evidence shows that climate change is negatively impacting the health of older adults living with dementia, pointing to a concerning trend. However, studies on other climate-sensitive events, including precipitation, solar radiation, disasters, and morbidities related to cardiovascular, respiratory, mental health, and falls-related injuries in this population were scarce. Future research is warranted in climate and dementia. This article is categorized under: Assessing Impacts of Climate Change > Observed Impacts of Climate Change.