Advancing nursing care for older migrants in the context of climate change: A narrative review

Climate change, global migration, and population aging are converging to create unique health risks for older migrants, a group facing compounded vulnerabilities due to age, migration status, and often socioeconomic disadvantage. However, the integration of climate resilience, cultural safety, and nursing care for this population remains underexplored.

This narrative review synthesizes existing evidence on the intersection of climate change, the health of older migrants, and nursing care, aiming to identify gaps and propose a pathway for integrated care.

A structured search was conducted across major academic databases and grey literature up to May 2025, guided by the Arksey and O'Malley framework. Inclusion criteria focused on older migrants (aged 60+), nursing care practices/strategies, and the context of climate change.

Minimal evidence explicitly addresses the triad of climate change, older migrants, and nursing. Existing literature treats these domains largely in isolation. While climate change exacerbates health risks for older adults, and nursing roles in disaster response are acknowledged, targeted strategies for older migrants are scarce.

This review highlights a critical gap in nursing care for older migrants at the intersection of aging, migration, and climate change. Evidence remains fragmented, and existing frameworks rarely integrate climate resilience with cultural safety. Future research should prioritize longitudinal studies, co-designed interventions, and competency standards integrating climate health and cross-cultural skills to advance equitable, climate-resilient care.