Recommendations for Best Practices in the Management of Elderly Disaster Victims

Recommendations for Best Practices in the Management of Elderly Disaster Victims

‘Recommendations for Best Practices in the Management of Elderly Disaster Victims’ is a publication that was done by an array of healthcare providers. Key supporters of the project were Baylor College of Medicine, The American Medical Association, Harris Country AMA, AARP, and Care for Elders. Different authors contributed and facilitated the publication of the article.

According to the author, babies, people with disabilities, and older people form a group of people who are at high risks when a disaster like Hurricane Katrina’s or of any other kind strike a place. The main reason older people at higher risk is due to their reduced capacity to respond fast. At old age, mobility is reduced and or incapacitated. Also, mental condition and judgment can be compromised due to their state and danger. About New Orleans evacuation from 31st Aug to 15th Sep 2005, in 36 deaths that were recorded 23 were senior adults aged 60 years and above.

Due to the risks associated with their vulnerability to disasters, the author advocate for three major approaches that can be deployed to enhance elderly evacuation and responses to natural calamities. Agencies involved should engage in personal enhancement, agency support strategies, and community-based interventions.

Every society should have a mechanism that would continue to engage and educate the elderly on responses to disaster. The second approach involves the establishment of agencies that are well enhanced to respond to emergencies and evacuation promptly. The third approach, which can be more effective when supported by the other two methods, is the community-based approach. At the community level, proximity to the elderly at critical moments is higher than the service providers. Members of the society should be more involved in helping the elderly to vacate such places. Besides, members of the community should also make due follow up to ensure older adults get assistance, and they are accounted for in the evacuation process.