At 7 a.m., the heat is already settling in.
Mary, 78, wakes early to stay ahead of it, closing blinds and windows to keep the air inside cool. A fan hums as she pours a glass of water, leaving another nearby as a reminder.
By late morning, the apartment feels heavy and warm. The forecast reads 33 C with a warning to limit activity. She skips her grocery trip and calls her neighbour, who offers to help.
By afternoon, the heat has intensified. Mary feels tired and slightly lightheaded. Sitting by the fan with a damp cloth on her neck, she reviews her heat-safety tips and wonders if her symptoms are something more.
Mary's experience reflects the challenges many older adults face during increasingly frequent heat waves. Understanding those risks, and developing practical, community-centred solutions is the focus of the Comprehensive Approach to Enhance Older Adults' Preparedness for Extreme Heat (COPE) project.
Theresa Pauly
Led in part by SFU, COPE aims to help older adults better prepare for and respond to extreme heat. The project is part of SFU Climate Innovation, a critical research priority that supports a community-centred response to the impacts of climate change.
"Older adults are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat because of a combination of physical, social and economic factors," says Theresa Pauly, principal investigator of COPE and Canada Research Chair in Social Relationships, Health and Aging.
Many older adults take medications that can affect hydration, circulation, sweating or the body's ability to regulate temperature, increasing their risk during heat events. Symptoms can also be difficult to recognize.
"Confusion is a common symptom of heat stroke, meaning individuals may not realize they are in danger or seek help when it is needed," says Pauly.
Social and economic factors can further increase vulnerability. Limited financial resources may restrict access to cooling options such as air conditioning, while mobility challenges can make it harder to reach cooling centres and community services. Older adults are also more likely to live alone, increasing the risk of social isolation during extreme heat events.
COPE brings together researchers, older adults and community partners to identify barriers and develop practical solutions to heat adaptation. Through daily monitoring, focus groups and community engagement activities, the team is examining how older adults experience heat in their everyday lives and how services, programs and policies can better support them.
A defining feature of the project is its participatory approach.
"Rather than designing interventions for older adults, COPE works alongside them through workshops, focus groups and other participatory methods to ensure recommendations reflect lived experiences and community needs," says Pauly.
"I guess the hottest places are the places without trees and so much pavement and concrete." - COPE participant
A community-informed approach
Beyond research, COPE is translating its findings into practical tools and programs that help older adults build heat resilience and stay connected.
The team has delivered more than a dozen heat preparedness workshops, both in person and online.
"Engaging with the community is a two-way exchange," says Pauly. "We learn about the most pressing real-world challenges people face while sharing the latest research-informed knowledge and resources."
Participants have also taken part in activities ranging from creative writing workshops to climate education sessions and a guided tour of VanDusen Botanical Garden exploring climate impacts on local tree species. COPE-Drama is a 10-week arts-based program that combines drama and climate education to build social connection, wellbeing and heat resilience.
"Arts-based programs provide an engaging and supportive environment for building heat resilience by combining creative expression with experiential learning," says Pauly.
"This photo is a picture of our common room, which happens to be the only air-conditioned room in the building... this is where 160 people who live in this building can find relief from the heat." - COPE participant
Extreme heat is a growing global concern
The COPE project has seen a remarkable response from international counterparts. While COPE is rooted in local communities, the project is also contributing to a growing international effort to address the impacts of extreme heat on older adults.
Researchers in Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Sweden and the United Kingdom are working together to better understand how older adults experience and manage extreme heat in their daily lives. Using smartphone-based data collection, wearable devices and photovoice methods, the team is exploring challenges such as maintaining social connections during heat events, managing health conditions and navigating barriers within homes and communities.
Interest from community organizations, local governments and policymakers highlights growing recognition that extreme heat requires coordinated responses across sectors and communities.
"There's mobility issues sometimes for seniors, or just anybody, and to get around to a cooling centre can be a challenge for sure." - COPE particpant
Last year, COPE researchers developed and distributed more than 100 copies of Smart & Sustainable Ways to Cope with Extreme Heat and Climate Challenges, a guide that outlines affordable cooling strategies, explains the signs of heat-related illness and addresses common misconceptions about coping with extreme heat.
Bringing communities together to build resilience
Beyond supporting individuals, the project is helping strengthen community responses to extreme heat by connecting researchers, older adults, community organizations, service providers and policymakers.
The initiative also highlights SFU's role as a convener of collaborative, community-engaged research.
"Community-engaged research is a priority at SFU," says Pauly. "The university has a strong track record of partnering with community organizations, government agencies and residents to address complex societal challenges."
As extreme heat becomes an increasingly common part of summer, COPE is helping ensure older adults are better prepared, better connected and better supported.
"A consistent theme among our participants has been a strong desire to contribute to solutions that extend beyond themselves," says Pauly.
That collaborative approach will be on display at a free Seniors' Heat Resilience Community Forum, hosted by COPE and SFU's Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue on September 10, 2026. The event will bring together older adults, researchers, health-care professionals, community organizations and policymakers to discuss practical solutions for protecting older adults during extreme heat events.
Ultimately, the goal of COPE is to help older adults prepare for, respond to and recover from extreme heat while strengthening community resilience for everyone.
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