For older adults, disaster risk starts long before disaster strikes
For older adults, no disaster is simple. Repeated hurricanes, floods, wildfires and heat waves can combine with chronic illness, limited mobility, weak social support and strained care systems to create risks greater than any one factor alone. As disasters grow more severe and frequent—and increasingly overlap or strike before communities have fully recovered—preparing for and recovering from…
Older adults face heightened disaster risks due to chronic illness, limited mobility, weak social support, and disrupted care systems. Repeated hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and heat waves, combined with these factors, can create risks greater than any one factor alone. A new special issue of the Journal of Applied Gerontology examines how these interacting factors shape older adults' vulnerability before, during, and after disasters in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and China.
The research highlights the need for disaster preparedness to address continuity of care, mental health, caregiver support, reliable information, and coordinated planning across health systems, long-term care facilities, and communities.
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