Project details

Background: As global life expectancy increases alongside the escalating challenges of climate change, there will be a collective increase in energy demands to sustain a healthy lifestyle and an increased need for health and long-term care services. While research exists on climate change, health, and energy independently and bilaterally, there is a critical gap in explaining the interconnections between all three and their collective impact on the expanding population of older adults.

Objective: This project, situated within the CoCareSociety Junior Research Group, will seek to understand and explain the intricate interconnections, or nexus, linking climate change, health, care, and energy. Through this research I aim to identify incentives, barriers, and enablers that influence individual behavior, ultimately promoting the uptake of measures conducive to optimal outcomes: maximized health and care, strengthened resilience, sustainable energy management, and favorable economic outcomes. The objective is to pinpoint initial adaptation strategies and establish priorities for long-term planning within communities and living environments where older society members reside, increasing their resilience amidst evolving challenges.

Methodological Approach: The theoretical framework of this research is based on Social Cognitive Theory expanded by the Social-Ecological Model. Methodologically, this study is divided into four planned manuscripts including a narrative review, systematic literature review, analysis of incentives and motivation, and a stakeholder-led cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness, and multi-criteria analysis. Leveraging CoCareSociety’s international experts and partnering institutions from the Global North and Global South, international case studies and collaborating opportunities will be pursed to comprehensively address the research questions.