SGS Webinar

Disaster Preparedness for Vulnerable Elders

Two presentations (25-30 minutes each)

Presenters: Sandi Lane and Mary Helen McSweeney-Feld

This webinar presents research on how Age-Friendly communities help develop community resilience, how older adults in rural communities prepared for Hurricane Michael, and how decisions were made by long-term care administrators in preparation for Hurricanes Florence and Michael. One study examined the extent to which existing Age-Friendly communities included disaster preparedness efforts as part of their strategic plans and examined the types of activities conducted within these plans. In the second study, long-term care administrators were interviewed to learn how organizations prepared for these hurricanes to ensure the safety of their residents. This study then used geospatial mapping to assess the vulnerability of nursing homes attributable to the location and combined the interview data with geospatial mapping to assess the decisions to evacuate or shelter-in-place (SIP). The findings from these studies can be used to develop new programs, policies, and practices for improving disaster preparedness and increasing resilience among older persons in Age-Friendly communities, rural communities, and long-term care organizations.