Eldercare, Health, and Ecosyndemics in a Perilous World

Janelle Christensen

doi:10.5771/9780759123946

Summary

Humans are at a unique crossroads: never before have we had such a clear understanding of how our actions affect a changing climate, or how our settlement patterns along coastal environments put us at risk of rising sea levels. However, the science behind climate change (and solutions for it) are engulfed in political controversy. Dr. Christensen uses anthropological methods to illuminate the lived experience of families caring for elder relatives during climate related events: a unique conundrum facing increasing numbers of people living in coastal areas.

As populations in industrialized countries grow older, they become more vulnerable to climate extremes. People over 65 are more likely to die in climate related events, such as heatwaves, hurricanes, and blizzards. Dr. Christensen presents the scientific evidence for climate change, the archaeological record on how humans responded to climatic shifts in the past, and explains how the current challenges are different. Using the theoretical framework of Singer’s Syndemics, she explores how aging bodies are more vulnerable to increased environmental toxins, which is further exacerbated by climate fluctuations. A central question is: how do we value our environment, our elders, and make decisions about well-being throughout the life course?

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Bibliographic data

Copyright year: 2018
ISBN-Print: 978-0-7591-2393-9
ISBN-Online: 978-0-7591-2394-6
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham
Language: English
Pages: 165
Product type: Book Titles

1. Contents No access
2. 1. Christensen Field Notes, September 6, 2017 No access
  2. The Global and the Personal No access
  3. Summary No access
1. The Elder Health Ecosyndemic No access
2. Summary No access
1. Syndemics No access
2. Ecosyndemics No access
3. Syndemics: The Dunmores and the Marteenys No access
4. Ecosyndemics: Climate Change and Turmoil No access
5. Public Health and Risk No access
6. Disasters and Vulnerability No access
7. Summary No access
1. Critical Medical Anthropology and Climate Science No access
2. Factors, Causes, Influences on Climate Disruption and Turmoil No access
3. Oceans and Climate: Pacific Decadal Oscillation, El Niño / La Niña (ENSO) No access
4. Disasters Related to Climate Change: Loading the Dice No access
5. Harmful Algal Blooms No access
6. Disasters Do Not Hit Equally No access
7. Droughts, Humanitarian Conflict, and Refugees No access
8. Misinformation Campaigns No access
9. Summary No access
1. Ecological Conditions of the Past No access
2. Archaeology and the History of Climate Impact on Humans No access
3. A Case Study No access
4. “Elders” of the Paleolithic No access
5. Summary No access
1. The Historical and Ecosocial Context of Dunbar, Lee County, Florida No access
2. Critical Medical Anthropology No access
3. Social Construction of Aging, Health, and Illness No access
4. Normal Aging and Aging-Related Diseases No access
5. Summary No access
1. Demographics No access
2. Age-Related Diseases and Disability No access
3. Frail Elderly No access
4. Aging and Disability During Hurricanes No access
5. Ecosyndemic: Temperature Vulnerability No access
6. Summary No access
1. The Expected Dead No access
2. Vulnerability and Expected Loss No access
3. Assistance after Hurricanes: Failing our Elders No access
4. Triage Systems: Official and Unofficial No access
5. Who Gets Flooded? No access
6. Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria No access
7. Summary No access
1. Building Codes No access
2. Urban Sprawl and Dependence on Cars No access
3. Cities as Heat Islands and Impact on Health No access
4. Cold Weather No access
5. Megacities No access
6. Coastal Living No access
7. Rural Areas No access
8. Building Codes and Flood Zones No access
9. Planning for Evacuation No access
10. Designating Shelters and Safe Spaces in Florida No access
11. Recovery No access
12. Summary No access
1. Deaths in a Florida Nursing Home No access
2. Skilled Nursing Facilities No access
3. Evacuating a Skilled Nursing Facility No access
4. Assisted Living Facilities No access
5. Shell Point as an Example of Proactive Planning No access
6. Hospitals No access
7. Community-Dwelling Elders No access
8. A System That Functions: West Palm Beach Special Needs Shelters No access
9. Cracks in the System No access
10. Summary No access
1. Worldview and Origin Stories No access
2. Science, Skepticism, and Antiscience Sentiments No access
3. Understanding (Dis)Belief No access
4. Bridging the Divide No access
5. Suggestions and Solutions for Change at All Levels No access
6. Market-Based Instruments and Carbon Reduction Technologies No access
7. Reducing Reliance on Cars and Reducing the Heat Island Effect No access
8. Summary No access
References No access Pages 127 - 156
Index No access Pages 157 - 164
About the Author No access Pages 165 - 165