Enhancing Public Health Emergency Preparedness for Special Needs Populations: A Toolkit for State and Local Planning and Response

Morbid Obesity in Disasters: Bringing the “Conspicuously Invisible” into Focus

“…A small number of toolkits and training resources were found in the grey literature [21,31,32,33,34], including a 2-page factsheet highlighting a number of planning considerations for those with extreme obesity in disasters and public health emergencies [35]. There is little evidence that such considerations have been translated into emergency management planning or practice.…”

Emergency Department and Inpatient Health Care Services Utilization by the Elderly Population: Hurricane Sandy in The State of New Jersey

“…lder adults have increased vulnerability to injuries in disasters because of their reduced physical flexibility, decreased sensory responsiveness, medical conditions, and potential socioeconomic challenges that may impede preparation and response capabilities during disasters. [1][2][3][4] The elderly population aged and older is estimated to surpass 70 million by 2030. 4,5 Disaster emergency planning and response for the elderly population deserve careful observations from evidenced-based recommendations and prudent consideration.…”

Building Community Resilience to Disasters: A Way Forward to Enhance National Health Security

“…• knowledge and insights about their needs • insights into common concerns of individuals with special needs • advice regarding the appropriate content and format of preparedness materials, riskcommunication messages, and alerts • awareness of equipment and supplies needed by responders and shelter providers (Ringel et al, 2009). …”