Appraising vulnerabilities on elders and built environment of aging-in-place in tropics using infrared thermography

Abstract

Demographic shifts due to the burgeoning ageing population and increasing global temperatures are synchronized societal challenges of the future. People living in low and middle-income countries are ageing much faster than richer countries and over the next three decades, ageing is predominant in Asia. People ageing in low-income communities of the tropics will become more vulnerable to heat with limitations and conditions of the houses they live. Thus, the study appraises the vulnerabilities of elders and the built environment of aging in place in the tropical city of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The selected cohort is permanently residing in a low-income community. Infrared thermal imagery analysis of elders is evident for a mean skin temperature of 34.9° C, which is 1.9° C above a healthy adult. Mean skin temperature further increases in elders living in detached houses. Moreover, the houses demonstrate poor ventilation, and overheated interiors with less usable floor area and windows. Additionally, the elders are suffering from long-term illnesses and their income restricts treatments. Thus, the study portrays an overarching social injustice status of ageing population in cities in Sri Lanka, as elders prefer aging in place. Thus, it highlights the significance of physical attributes of built environment to ensure healthy aging in warming climates.