Rural Older Adults in Disasters: A Study of Recovery From Hurricane Michael

Abstract

Objective: This study aims for a greater understanding of how older adults (age 65 and older) in Jackson County, Florida, are prepared for and cope with the effects of a natural disaster. Methods: A multidisciplinary, international research team developed a survey examining: (1) resources available to individuals aged 65+ in rural communities for preparing for a disaster; (2) challenges they face when experiencing a disaster; and (3) their physical, social, emotional, and financial needs when it strikes. The survey was administered with older adults (65+) in Jackson County, Florida, following Hurricane Michael in 2018. The descriptive, multivariate logistic, and linear regression analyses were performed to examine the relationship between respondents’ demographic information and needs, concerns, and consequences of disaster. Results: Results indicated (n = 139) rural community-dwelling older adults rely on social support, community organizations, and trusted disaster relief agencies to prepare for and recover from disaster-related events. Conclusions: Such findings can be used to inform the development of new interventions, programs, policies, practices, and tools for emergency management and social service agencies to improve disaster preparedness and resiliency among older populations in rural communities.

A neighborhood-level analysis of association between social vulnerability and COVID-19 in ahvaz, Iran

“…Many vulnerable groups living in these neighborhoods, such as daily-paid workers, and poor people who are not under support organizations such as the relief foundation and welfare department cannot meet their basic living needs, let alone provide health items. As Fletcher et al [ 82 ] stated, poor people may not have the necessary resources to prepare food for a longer period and are forced to leave their homes and attend markets and streets. Thus, they fail to comply with social restrictions and health protocols.…”

Velhices urbanas, rurais e institucionalizadas em desastres hidrológicos e geológicos

“…Dada essa realidade, idosos vivendo em áreas rurais devem se utilizar de outros mecanismos no preparo para as situações de desastres hidrológicos e geológicos. No âmbito brasileiro não localizamos estudos sobre as estratégias e recursos utilizados por estes, porém internacionalmente vimos alguns elementos que possivelmente possam dialogar com a realidade brasileira, como o caso das pesquisas realizadas por Kwan e Tam (2021) e Fletcher et al (2021).…”

“…Iniciemos com os resultados sobre a recuperação de idosos rurais afetados pelo desastre relacionado ao furacão Michael, nos Estados Unidos (FLETCHER et al, 2021). Este estudo revelou que os idosos vivendo em áreas rurais contam principalmente com a rede de proteção vicinal, como família e amigos, do que com serviços sociais ou ajuda institucional.…”

Understanding Place Histories to Inform Positive Ageing-in-Place Transitions: An Intersectional Place Perspective of Forced Relocation Experiences

“…Research indicates that a significant proportion of older individuals have experienced forced relocation at some point in their life (Davison, Camões-Costa & Clark 2019;Kumar & Tjepkema, 2019;Kusmaul and Anderson 2018;Seebauer and Winkler 2020). Perceived as hostile environmental transitions that contribute to vulnerability in old age, commonly reported forced relocation events in later-life include: natural disasters (Fletcher et al, 2022;Tuohy & Stephens, 2012); transitions to (Bekhet et al, 2009;Davison, Camões-Costa & Clark, 2019) or between (Falk et al, 2011;Holder & Jolley, 2012) institutions; and across different levels of care (Canham et al, 2018a;Shippee, 2009).…”