Social Vulnerability Index for the Older People—Hong Kong and New York City as Examples

Abstract

Many world cities have suffered large-scale disasters, causing a significant loss of lives, property damage, and adverse social and economic impact. Those who are most vulnerable during and in the immediate aftermath of disaster crises are the elderly. Therefore, it is imperative to identify them and determine their specific needs in order to support them. Although several Social Vulnerability Indexes (SVIs) have been developed to assess different types of disaster vulnerability across geographic and population levels, few have been tailored to the older population. Building on the research of Gusmano et al., this study modifies and uses an SVI specifically designed to assess the vulnerability of older populations to emergencies and disasters across seven domains, namely, population size, institutionalization, poverty, living alone, disability, communication obstacles, and access to primary care. Moreover, it is acknowledged that availability of data largely depends on the local context and is always a barrier to production of indices across countries. The present study offers suggestions on how modifications can be made for local adaptation such that the SVI can be applied in different cities and localities. The SVI used in this study provides information to stakeholders in emergency preparedness, not only about natural disasters but also about health hazards and emergencies, which few existing SVI address.

Effects of tai chi qigong on psychosocial well-being among hidden elderly, using elderly neighborhood volunteer approach: a pilot randomized controlled trial

“…Social isolation is an important health concern for such people, as they usually live alone and enjoy little social participation 7. There is evidence that socially isolated individuals have two to four times greater risk of all-cause mortality than elderly people who have more friends, relatives, and neighbors 8.…”

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“…Many older people need external support for their daily living. A large minority of older adults with low or modest pension incomes face financial strains from the high cost of illness, and many older people in urban areas live in social isolation . Indeed, population aging has become a policy topic of concern.…”

“…A large minority of older adults with low or modest pension incomes face financial strains from the high cost of illness, and many older people in urban areas live in social isolation. 3 Indeed, population aging has become a policy topic of concern. The policy debate since the end of the twentieth century about the future of public pensions and health and long-term care programs has increasingly framed the growing numbers of older people in alarmist terms.…”

The Social Vulnerability of Older People to Natural Disasters: An Integrative Review

“…Because of its geographical location, Iran is considered one of the most disaster-prone countries, especially natural disasters in Asia and the world [4]. Demographically, the aging process in Iran is also increasing [5]; the proportion of older people in this country has increased from 7.22% in 2006 to 8.20% in 2011 [5,6]. It is predicted that in 2050, the older people will comprise more than 20% of Iran's population [7].…”

“…Although social vulnerability is neither age-dependent nor age-related, the elderly are at greater risk than others owning to their specific situation [9]. The social vulnerability is a part of assessment and analysis of natural hazards and provides vital information for risk assessment and reduction [6]. It occurs when the inequality in facing hazardous coincides with inequality in access to resources [10].…”