“Heat Telephone Parasol”

Key Learnings

About the Region

Climate Threats

Cities like Kassel are particularly exposed to rising temperatures because temperature differences of up to 6°C in the city compared to its surroundings can occur (urban heat island effect). As a result, urban areas need to make special efforts to adapt to increasing temperatures due to climate change. Despite heat stress negatively impacting all of us, heat can pose a serious danger to the elderly without them realising it.

Therefore, the city of Kassel has introduced the initiative“Heat Telephone Parasol”, informing the elderly about upcoming heat in the city and how to protect themselves.

A well-established service

The Seniors’ Advisory Board offers the service, which is the independent body and contact point for all elderly people in the city of Kassel to represent their interests. From June 15^th to August 31^st, members of the Seniors’ Advisory Board provide free information about all heat warnings at level 2 issued by the German Weather Service for the city of Kassel. Level 2 warnings mean that the perceived temperature rises above 38°C and poses extreme heat stress to the body. After registration, the service is available for the elderly population aged 65 and over.

Besides providing information about impending heat, the Seniors’ Advisory Board members give tips on how to protect oneself from excessive heat stress during the phone calls. Those recommendations include:

• Drinking enough fluids
• Seeking shady places during lunchtime
• Airing the house in the early morning

During the phone call, the Seniors’ Advisory Board members, who are the volunteers, look out for signs of health issues. If necessary, the volunteers contact the elderly person's responsible general practitioner. Elderly people often underestimate the health risks related to heat. Personal contact makes it possible to identify the personal health risk and determine individual prevention measures. The elderly are contacted by telephone because the over 65-year-olds are still best reachable over the phone, compared to other digital tools (e.g., Apps).

In the long term, the aim is to also reach other vulnerable groups, such as chronically ill and pregnant people or children.

Planning and implementation of the heat telephone

The heat telephone concept dates back to 2010 when the city of Kassel established a set of pilot districts to address urban heating. Those districts were tasked with developing and testing exemplary heat adaptation measures, and at the neighbourhood level, the Heat Prevention Network was founded. Within the Heat Prevention Network, stakeholders collaborate across sectors and disciplines to develop adaptation measures.

As part of the Network, a neighbourhood conference was held in 2010, during which participants discussed climate change and its effect on the elderly population’s health. They looked at prevention strategies, the idea of the heat telephone was born, and the concept was further developed. Due to the positive experiences and the broad public feedback, the heat telephone was expanded to the entire city in 2011.

Especially the elderly, chronically ill and people requiring care, but also children can be affected by problems due to heat stress in summer, which can be well managed by taking appropriate precautions

Markus Heckenhahn Coordinator at the Health department Kassel.

Flexibility, volunteering, and a social aspect characterise the heat telephone  

Up to date no comparable project exists. The Parasol heat telephone is unique in Germany. The measure can be adapted to […] weather events on a daily basis and is therefore […] extremely flexible due to its simple expansion of the offer

Markus Heckenhahn, Coordinator at the Health department Kassel.

The basis of the heat telephone are personal commitment and volunteering of the people calling the elderly. The phone is not an open service line and users have to be registered to use it. The Seniors’ Advisory Board has an office in the city of Kassel, where the board provides information on events within the seniors’ programme, everyday problems and old age during consultation hours. Due to the high level of interest in the heat telephone and commitment of the volunteers, the service is financially viable. Another positive outcome is the social dimension of the service. The often lonely, elderly people have the chance to talk to someone and the initiative results in a social added value.

A positive side effect was also the approach and contact with elderly people who live alone and very much welcomed the social contact to the heat telephone staff

Manfred Aul, Chairman of the Seniors' Advisory Board.

The evaluation by KLIMZUG-Nordhessen, which is an cross-disciplinary joint project, concluded that the measure successfully helps to warn people in time about extreme heat and consequently prevents serious health issues.

Summary

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