Grant: CG: CBR in Climate Change Pri. Areas-Health Imp. of Climate Change Older Adults

Older adults are disproportionately impacted by climate change and those living in long-term care homes (LTCHs) are at great risk of negative outcomes. Long-term care homes (LTCHs) are sites where frail older adults requiring complex care receive round-the-clock nursing care. The majority of LTCHs have aging infrastructure and were not built with considerations for climate change, leaving residents vulnerable to negative physical and mental health outcomes. Yet, in comparison to hospitals, the LTCH sector receives relatively little attention in climate policy or research. The aim of this project is to build capacity in the LTCH sector through the co-creation of climate resilience plans. A climate resilience plan is a living document where organizations can assess climate risks and vulnerabilities and articulate steps to address these risks. Working with LTCH operators in British Columbia, we will co-create climate resilience plans for their organizations. Each participating site will have a local team that is inclusive of resident and family partners. We will collect information about their experiences of the process and the resulting plans. We will use this information to create a toolkit that can be shared with Canada's LTCH sector. At the end of the project we will hold a pan-Canadian virtual summit to share the toolkit.