Assessing Healthcare Approaches on Dealing with Heat Wave for Older Population: Tokyo Experience

Rising global heatwaves disproportionately endanger elderly populations, demanding targeted interventions. This study explored the strategies of older people living in Tokyo for dealing with heat waves and the efforts and programs of the government to deal with the threat of heat waves using field research (interviews) and document review methods. The study identified policy gaps in information dissemination and age-specific adaptations, examined Tokyo’s healthcare initiatives, which reveal infrastructure potential yet highlight critical failures in grassroots awareness and facility utilization. The study suggests that effective solutions require community-engaged platforms, improved risk communication, and adaptive urban planning. The study contributes actionable recommendations for policymakers to develop age-inclusive climate adaptation strategies, emphasizing the urgent need for improved risk communication and feedback mechanisms to protect aging populations in warming cities nationally and globally.