When a Disaster Strike: How do we help vulnerable people?

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Vulnerable people, like the elderly and those with chronic diseases, disabilities or conditions that require extra assistance, are often forgotten about when city’s develop a plan for a natural disaster or emergency. Many cities are unprepared to properly assistant this portion of the population, which can result increase of deaths to these populations.
In New Orleans, people over the age of 60 only comprised 15% of the population before Hurricane Katrina. But after the disaster hit, more than 70% of those who died were elderly. Grantmakers in Aging, an organization gives a strong policy voice that attracts greater attention to aging-related trends and issues, states that disaster-related death rates so much higher for older adults because many are unable to move quickly out of harm’s way, many are reluctant to evacuate, which is often based on past experiences, and cut off from help. Due to chronic health condition, many elderly are often cut off from the community and small detail, like the elevator out of service, could make the difference between life or death.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is beginning to write up a universal plan for the response and evacuation of the elderly population during a disaster. The plan starts with a better understanding of the elderly population, such as sensory, physiological, and cognitive changes and their relectuence for assistance. By understanding the needs of the elderly population, CDC can focus on outreach, which can bring awareness to this issue. Local communities and long-term assistance providers, can develop a plan that fits their immediate seniors.

States, like Florida and North Carolina, have become model programs for disaster planning and response. Florida has enacted laws that require long term care facilities to develop an emergency plan. Florida’s Department of Elder Affairs and the state’s emergency operations center maintain contact with local communities to determine whether or not they need assistance. The state has also used Census data to set up food and water distribution station in areas where there is a large elderly population. The elderly no longer have to relocate, which reduces the time it takes to get proper assistance.
Bringing awareness to this issue is just as important as the issue itself. Outreach and awareness, not only, give the vulnerable population information about this issue, but gives the local community information. The local community can become the first responders when a disaster strikes.   
Madelyn Lackman
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