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Innov Aging
Innov Aging
innovateage
Innovation in Aging
2399-5300 Oxford University Press US 

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1980
igaa057.1980
Abstracts
Session 5590 (Symposium)
AcademicSubjects/SOC02600
Aging in High-Risk Coastal Regions: Examining Social Infrastructure Needs of Older Adults Living in the Gulf Coast
Merdjanoff Alexis  
New York University, New York, New York, United States
2020 
16 12 2020 
16 12 2020 
4 Suppl 1 Program Abstracts from The GSA 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting “Turning 75: Why Age Matters”591 591
© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America.2020This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Abstract
This study examines how coastal erosion, flooding susceptibility, and extreme hazard risk in Louisiana communities shape decisions to age in place. The decision to age in place is not only related to one’s physical health and cognitive capabilities but strongly connected to neighborhood cohesion, sociocultural contexts, economic resources, familiarity with surroundings, and a sense of security. However, research on the types of individual and community resources that older adults need in order to successfully age in environmentally vulnerable communities is exceptionally sparse. Using in-depth interview data collected from older adults (n=20) living in coastal Louisiana parishes, this research aims: 1) to gain a deeper understanding of how coastal erosion and frequent flooding influence the decision to age in place; 2) to compile evidence as to how coastal communities can create resources that promote resilience, despite environmental risk; and 3) to use this evidence to increase awareness and enhance policy discussions on coastal adaptation.