At home in a storm : age-inclusive participatory disaster risk reduction with older stroke survivors
Stjernholm, Linda LU
; Rassmus-Gröhn, Kirsten
LU
; Borell, Jonas
LU
and Magnusson, Charlotte
LU
(2026)
34th Annual Conference of the Society for Risk Analysis – Europe
- Abstract
- Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme events such as flooding, heatwaves, storms, and power outages. These events pose particular risks for older people, especially those ageing in place with disabilities or chronic conditions. Older persons are more likely to experience disruptions to care, mobility, and access to information during crises, yet their perspectives are rarely centred in disaster risk reduction and preparedness planning. This poster presents a project which addresses this gap through participatory research with older stroke survivors in Sweden.
The project is grounded in disaster risk reduction, universal design, and participatory research, and responds to research gaps identified in... (More) - Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme events such as flooding, heatwaves, storms, and power outages. These events pose particular risks for older people, especially those ageing in place with disabilities or chronic conditions. Older persons are more likely to experience disruptions to care, mobility, and access to information during crises, yet their perspectives are rarely centred in disaster risk reduction and preparedness planning. This poster presents a project which addresses this gap through participatory research with older stroke survivors in Sweden.
The project is grounded in disaster risk reduction, universal design, and participatory research, and responds to research gaps identified in recent reviews that call for more holistic, intersectional, and user-centred approaches to ageing and disaster preparedness. The project focuses on function-based needs and capabilities rather than diagnoses and treats older people as active contributors to preparedness rather than passive recipients of information and aid.
Empirical work is carried out with older stroke survivors living at home with support from home care services, in collaboration with a local stroke organization. Methods include interviews, focus groups, and a co-design process involving older participants, relatives, care professionals, and crisis planners. The project examines how older people understand and prepare for crises, how information is accessed and trusted, and how personal networks and local communities’ function during disruptions. Particular attention is given to communication practices, everyday routines, and the role of informal support networks.
Rather than presenting final results, the poster outlines the project design, methodological choices, and expected outcomes. These include guidance for age-inclusive disaster risk reduction, support materials for crisis preparedness, and activities aimed at strengthening personal networks and increasing a sense of safety and agency among older people. The project also aims to support advocacy by ensuring that the needs and knowledge of older persons are better reflected in municipal crisis planning and response.
The poster contributes to risk research by demonstrating how participatory and function-based approaches can improve the relevance, usability, and fairness of disaster preparedness for ageing populations.
(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/d00e2bfc-8140-45b2-b313-b692d86754b3
- author
- Stjernholm, Linda
LU
; Rassmus-Gröhn, Kirsten
LU
; Borell, Jonas
LU
and Magnusson, Charlotte
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026-05-28
- type
- Contribution to conference
- publication status
- unpublished
- subject
- keywords
- DRR
- conference name
- 34th Annual Conference of the Society for Risk Analysis – Europe
- conference location
- Alicante, Spain
- conference dates
- 2026-05-26 - 2026-05-29
- project
- Inkluderande krisberedskap i en föränderlig värld: ökad säkerhet och livskvalitet
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- d00e2bfc-8140-45b2-b313-b692d86754b3
- date added to LUP
- 2026-10-13 14:14:04
- date last changed
- 2026-10-14 09:32:28
@misc{d00e2bfc-8140-45b2-b313-b692d86754b3,
abstract = {{Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme events such as flooding, heatwaves, storms, and power outages. These events pose particular risks for older people, especially those ageing in place with disabilities or chronic conditions. Older persons are more likely to experience disruptions to care, mobility, and access to information during crises, yet their perspectives are rarely centred in disaster risk reduction and preparedness planning. This poster presents a project which addresses this gap through participatory research with older stroke survivors in Sweden.<br/><br/>The project is grounded in disaster risk reduction, universal design, and participatory research, and responds to research gaps identified in recent reviews that call for more holistic, intersectional, and user-centred approaches to ageing and disaster preparedness. The project focuses on function-based needs and capabilities rather than diagnoses and treats older people as active contributors to preparedness rather than passive recipients of information and aid.<br/><br/>Empirical work is carried out with older stroke survivors living at home with support from home care services, in collaboration with a local stroke organization. Methods include interviews, focus groups, and a co-design process involving older participants, relatives, care professionals, and crisis planners. The project examines how older people understand and prepare for crises, how information is accessed and trusted, and how personal networks and local communities’ function during disruptions. Particular attention is given to communication practices, everyday routines, and the role of informal support networks.<br/><br/>Rather than presenting final results, the poster outlines the project design, methodological choices, and expected outcomes. These include guidance for age-inclusive disaster risk reduction, support materials for crisis preparedness, and activities aimed at strengthening personal networks and increasing a sense of safety and agency among older people. The project also aims to support advocacy by ensuring that the needs and knowledge of older persons are better reflected in municipal crisis planning and response.<br/><br/>The poster contributes to risk research by demonstrating how participatory and function-based approaches can improve the relevance, usability, and fairness of disaster preparedness for ageing populations.<br/>}},
author = {{Stjernholm, Linda and Rassmus-Gröhn, Kirsten and Borell, Jonas and Magnusson, Charlotte}},
keywords = {{DRR}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{05}},
title = {{At home in a storm : age-inclusive participatory disaster risk reduction with older stroke survivors}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/263200713/KampradAlicantePoster.pdf}},
year = {{2026}},
}