Trial of a Survey Instrument to Establish the Hurricane Preparedness of and Medical Impact on a Vulnerable, Older Population

Abstract

Introduction: Millions of vulnerable, elderly individuals live in coastal areas susceptible to hurricanes and are at risk for adverse health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine the status of preparedness for and possible health consequences of a hurricane on a vulnerable, but experienced, elderly population.Problem: Preparedness guidelines have been published, but it is unclear how well-prepared elderly individuals are for hurricanes, and what impact hurricanes may have on their health.Methods: Five hundred forty-seven ambulatory patients who attended an urban teaching hospital's geriatrics clinic in Florida were surveyed. A 25-question survey that asked whether subjects followed the American Red Cross guidelines for hurricane preparation was developed. The participants were asked what hurricane supplies they had, and whether they would need to evacuate or utilize storm-proof window shutters. They also were queried about definitions and their understanding of hurricane warnings. Three possible health impacts during the two weeks following Hurricane Wilma in 2005 were asked: (1) falls; (2) missed medication; and (3) missed doctor's appointments. An additional 105 patients in the same clinic were asked about the same three health outcomes one and one-half years after the hurricane struck.Results: Two-thirds of respondents were missing at least one supply item. A multivariate analysis indicated that there was no relationship between the subjects' demographic characteristics and the possession of the suggested disaster supplies. Although 36% would need to evacuate, only 56% of these 36% had a plan. Only 63% had storm-proof windows or shutters, and of these, only 46% could install them. Gasoline-powered electrical generators can be useful, but also a source of morbidity or mortality following a hurricane. For example, this study found that 28% of respondents had generators, but only 46% knew how to use them. Subjects immediately after the hurricane rmsstd fewer doses of medication than at other times (3.4% vs. 6.7%; p <0.0001) and fell slighdy less often (8.8% vs. 12.9%; p <0.0001). However, there were significandy more missed doctors appointments after the hurricane (11.6% vs. 0.1%, p <0.0001).Conclusions: The survey indicated that even a well-experienced population lacks adequate hurricane preparation. Most still are vulnerable in at least one aspect of preparation. The elderly may be more likely to miss medical appointments immediately following a hurricane. Interventions to improve hurricane preparedness should be piloted.

Perception, Knowledge and Behaviors Related to Typhoon: A Cross Sectional Study among Rural Residents in Zhejiang, China

“…In our study, most residents identified television as the main ways to get information before typhoon (83.5%), the result was similar with previous studies in China [14,28], Florida [26], and New Jersey [34]. TV is a major and convenient source of information among rural residents.…”

“…In some cases, while residents generally felt prepared for a typhoon disaster, it has been found that there was in fact still insufficient preparation [25]. Even people who had experienced typhoon many times might not take adequate typhoon preparation actions, which increased population vulnerability [26]. A study in Iran showed that the knowledge of people regarding disaster preparedness was encouraging, but the translation of knowledge into effective attitudes and appropriate practices was weak [27].…”

Factors Predicting Individual Emergency Preparedness: A Multi-state Analysis of 2006 BRFSS Data

“…[26][27][28][29][30]53 Previous research focusing on individual preparedness, response to disasters, and expectations of future disasters have revealed disparities in race=ethnicity, social class, gender, and age. 12,15,[54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69] Given the differential experiences during disasters based on group membership, it is not surprising that a lack of trust in public authorities exists among some subgroups. [70][71][72] Because of this mistrust, culturally appropriate preparedness information is a critical component of preparedness efforts for all individuals.…”

A Review of Hurricane Disaster Planning for the Elderly

“…A fair question to ask would be-just how disaster prepared are the elderly in general? A study carried out by Cherniack and coworkers sought to answer this important question (Cherniack et al 2008). The authors surveyed 547 ambulatory elderly patients attending a Florida urban teaching hospital's geriatric clinic in the wake of the 2005 Hurricane Wilma.…”