Climate change and the increased vulnerability of older people to heat-health risks raises questions about the built environment and our ability to design or adapt existing homes to assist older people and the wider community to cope with extreme heat and maintain a healthy independent lifestyle. In many instances existing housing options may not adequately meet the changing needs of older people. There is a need to ensure an adequate and diverse housing stock that provides suitable choices for an ageing population, including capacity to accommodate changing needs over time, particularly in light of the push towards ‘ageing in place’ and community-based care.

To examine this relationship between ageing, housing stock, and heat exposure we looked at the experiences of older people in a rural community in Northern Victoria that is regularly exposed to hot weather. The study was conducted during the summer of 2012 using a mixed methods approach – including a focus group, household interviews, daily diaries and collection of meteorological data in the homes and in the town centre. The results of this study suggest an increased risk of heat exposure over summer in homes that are older, poorly insulated, have a flat roof, and are weatherboard construction.  We identified a strong reliance on air-conditioning to cool homes. This reliance upon air-conditioning is concerning because it may reduce thermal acclimatisation and may be unsustainable in terms of rising energy costs, falling renewable energy rebates as well as increased likelihood of ‘brown outs’ during heatwaves.