Disaster
Assistance
Disaster Preparedness Manual for the Aging Network
III. Older Persons and
Their Response to Disaster
A. Summary of Special Concerns
SENSORY DEPRIVATION - Older persons' sense of smell, touch,
vision and hearing may be less acute than that of the general
population. A hearing loss may cause an older person not to hear
what is said in a noisy environment or a diminished sense of
smell may mean that he or she is more apt to eat spoiled food.
DELAYED RESPONSE SYNDROME - Older persons may not react to a
situation as fast as younger persons. In disasters, this means
that Disaster Application Centers may need to be kept open longer
if older persons have not appeared. It also means they may not
apply for benefits within specified time limits.
GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES - Depending on when individuals were
born, they share differing values and expectations. This becomes
important in service delivery since what is acceptable to an
80 year old person may not be acceptable to a person 65 years
of age.
CHRONIC ILLNESS AND MEDICATION USE - Higher percentages of older
persons have arthritis. This may prevent an older person from
standing in line. Medications may cause confusion in an older
person or a greater susceptibility to problems such as dehydration.
These and other similar problems may increase the difficulties
in obtaining assistance.
MEMORY DISORDERS - Environmental factors or chronic diseases
may affect the ability of older persons to remember information
or to act appropriately.
TRANSFER TRAUMA - Frail older persons who are dislocated without
use of proper procedures may suffer illness and even death.
MULTIPLE LOSS EFFECT - Many older persons have lost spouse,
income, home, and/or physical capabilities. For some persons,
these losses compound each other. Disasters sometimes provide
a final blow making recovery particularly difficult for older
persons. This may also be reflected in an inappropriate attachment
to specific items of property.
HYPER/HYPOTHERMIA VULNERABILITY - Older persons are often much
more susceptible to the effects of heat or cold. This becomes
more critical in disasters when furnaces and air conditioners
may be unavailable or unserviceable.
CRIME VICTIMIZATION - Con artists target older persons, particularly
after a disaster. Other targeting by criminals may also develop.
These issues need to be addressed in shelters and in housing
arrangements.
UNFAMILIARITY WITH BUREAUCRACY - Older persons often have not
had any experience working through a bureaucratic system. This
is especially true for older women who had a spouse who dealt
with these areas.
LITERACY - Many older persons have lower educational levels
than the general population. This may present difficulties in
completion of applications or understanding directions.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL BARRIERS - Older persons may be limited
in their command of the English language or may find their ability
to understand instructions diminished by the stressful situation.
The resulting failure in communication could easily be further
confused by the presence of authoritarian figures, such as police
officers, who may increase the apprehension and confusion in
the mind of the older person. A number of seniors speak languages
other than English, and there is a critical need to be sensitive
to language and cultural differences. This could mean older persons
in this category will need special assistance in applying for
disaster benefits.
MOBILITY IMPAIRMENT OR LIMITATION - Older persons may not have
the ability to use automobiles or have access to private or public
transportation. This may limit the opportunity to go to the Disaster
Application Center, obtain goods or water, or relocate when necessary.
Older persons may have physical impairments which limit mobility.
WELFARE STIGMA - Many older persons
will not use services that have the connotation of being "welfare." Older
persons often have to be convinced that disaster services are
available
as a government service that their taxes have purchased. Older
persons need to know that their receipt of assistance will not
keep another, more impacted, person from receiving help.
MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA - Similar to welfare stigma, older persons
often feel ashamed that they may experience mental health problems.
These attitudes must be addressed individually if older persons
are to receive mental health care.
LOSS OF INDEPENDENCE - Older persons may fear that they will
lose their independence if they ask for assistance. The fear
of being placed in a nursing home may be a barrier to accessing
services.
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