Older adults are at risk in heat waves, but it’s not just age: How public systems and policies are failing them

Older adults are frequently discussed as a vulnerable group during extreme heat, but vulnerability is not simply a function of age. (In-Press Photography via Centre for Ageing Better), CC BY Older adults are at risk in heat waves, but it’s not just age: How public systems and policies are failing them Published: July 8, 2026 10.06am EDT Share article Print article Five years ago, British Columbia’s heat dome became one of the deadliest weather disasters in Canadian history. Over eight days in late June and early July 2021, 619 people died from heat-related causes. Most were older adults. Many lived alone. Nearly all died indoors. What happened was not just a weather event. It was a failure of housing, health systems, emergency preparedness and social policy. Today, the uncomfortable question is not whether we learned from the tragedy. It is whether we learned enough. This month, much of Europe is once again under extreme heat alerts. Italy has issued its highest-level warnings in multiple cities. France and the United Kingdom have recorded temperatures above 44 C, schools have closed, transportation systems have been disrupted and governments are scrambling to protect vulnerable residents. Thousands of deaths have already been linked to the current heat wave, with those deaths concentrated in older age groups. Recent heat waves across Canada have once again highlighted the growing health risks associated with a warming climate right here in our own country. In late June and early July 2026, prolonged periods of extreme heat prompted widespread heat warnings across Ontario, Québec and parts of Atlantic Canada, with humidex values exceeding 40 C in some regions. The thermometer of a drugstore in Rome shows the temperature of 38 C as temperatures reach record highs on June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) A defining public health challenge The scenes are familiar because the underlying problem is the same. Extreme heat is no longer a rare event. It is becoming a defining public health challenge of the 21st century. Yet our response remains largely reactive. The heat dome exposed something researchers have long known: climate-related risks are not experienced equally. Heat does not affect everyone the same way. Age, disability, income, housing quality, social isolation, caregiving responsibilities and access to cooling all matter. The people most at risk are those with the fewest resources to protect themselves. The Grey Revolution, a series…