How extreme weather and power outages affect the health of older adults with Alzheimer's
Official title: Weather extremes, natural disasters, and health outcomes among vulnerable older adults: New improvements on exposure assessment, disparity identification, and risk communication strategies
Funded at State University of New York at Albany · NIH-11126584 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looking at how heatwaves, floods, storms, and blackouts impact the health and safety of older adults living with Alzheimer's, especially those with fewer resources.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University of New York at Albany NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Albany, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $393,112 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG070949-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11126584 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants would be older adults living with Alzheimer's or related dementia—especially those in low-income, rural, or otherwise underserved communities exposed to extreme weather or power outages.
✕Less likely to help
People without dementia, younger individuals, or those living in areas with little risk of extreme weather or long outages are less likely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, researchers will link local weather and power outage data with health records and neighborhood information for older adults with Alzheimer's to see who is most at risk. They will improve how exposure is measured using better mapping and models so events in rural and undersampled areas are captured. The team will examine whether risks are higher in transitional months and whether community features like greenness or socioeconomic status change outcomes. They will also work on clearer ways to communicate risks and protections to vulnerable families and caregivers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to clearer warnings, better emergency planning, and targeted support to help keep older adults with Alzheimer's safer during extreme weather and outages.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows older adults are vulnerable to disasters, but combining improved exposure mapping, community context, and dementia-specific outcomes is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
State University of New York at Albany
Albany, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lin, Shao — State University of New York at Albany
- Study coordinator: Lin, Shao
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.