Introduction
Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, placing older people ageing in their homes at greater risk.
However, vulnerability is shaped by intersecting factors, including health, housing, socioeconomic circumstances, cultural practices, and local climate. This project aims to understand how diverse older adults use and adapt their homes during extreme weather and to develop personalised, culturally responsive interventions that strengthen climate resilience.
Project Aims
1. Understanding home use and climate adaptation
The project will identify the intersectional characteristics of older people living at home who are at risk from extreme weather events. Data will be collected through household surveys, environmental monitoring, and participant diaries (text, audio, and video) to capture occupancy patterns, heating and cooling practices, ventilation behaviour, clothing levels, physical activity, and food and water intake. These data will be analysed using an Integrated Mixed-Methods AI Pipeline that combines qualitative and quantitative evidence to identify behavioural patterns and contextual influences. Multivariate optimisation methods will then be used to identify locally appropriate resilience strategies tailored to individual circumstances.
2. Co-designing and validating solutions
Participants will take part in workshops to review, challenge, and refine both the interpretation of their home-use behaviours and the proposed adaptation strategies. Survey responses and workshop discussions will be incorporated into the AI pipeline to improve its transparency, accuracy, and relevance while refining the optimisation model through participatory validation.
3. Delivering personalised climate resilience support
Building on these findings, the project will develop an LLM-based home assistant that provides personalised, locally appropriate advice for adapting to extreme weather. Rather than simply raising awareness, the system will support decision-making through a person-centred approach that recognises the diversity of health conditions, cultural contexts, and adaptation needs. Communication will be tailored to accommodate age-related changes, including reduced mobility and visual or hearing impairments, ensuring accessibility and inclusive engagement.
4. Amplifying older people's voices for policy and practice
From the deployment of the LLM-based home assistant, the project will extend engagement to a larger and more diverse sample to ensure that the experiences of older people affected by extreme climate events inform local policy and the institutional standards shaping residential environments. The project will produce a culturally responsive Good Practice Guide for climate resilience adaptation, providing evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, housing providers, designers, and community organisations.
Research Questions
The project addresses the following research questions:
How do older adults with diverse intersectional characteristics adapt their home-use behaviours during extreme weather events across different cultural contexts?
How can mixed-methods AI models integrate behavioural, environmental, and experiential data to identify personalised and locally appropriate climate adaptation strategies?
How can participatory engagement improve the transparency, trustworthiness, and effectiveness of AI-supported climate resilience interventions?
How can AI-enabled home assistants deliver accessible, person-centred, and culturally responsive guidance that strengthens climate resilience for ageing-in-place populations?
How can evidence from diverse older populations be translated into policy and housing guidance that supports equitable climate adaptation?