Disaster Public Health And Older People

Disaster Public Health and Older People introduces professionals, students and fieldworkers to the science and art of promoting health and well-being among older people in the context of humanitarian emergencies, with a particular focus on low- and middle-income country settings. Older people face specific vulnerabilities in physical, mental and social well-being during disasters. They are likely to experience socio-economic marginalisation, isolation, inaccessible information and a lack of relevant post-emergency support services. Meanwhile, although older people can also significantly contribute to disaster preparedness, response and recovery, their capacities are often under-utilised. Drawing on a range of global case studies, this book provides readers with a theoretical underpinning, while suggesting actions at the individual, community and national levels to reduce the health risks to older people posed by the increasing frequency and intensity of disaster, in particular those resulting from natural hazards. Topics covered range from the health impact of disasters on older people and response to their post-disaster health needs, to disaster preparedness, disease prevention, healthy ageing, global policy developments and the contributions of older people in disaster contexts. This book draws on lessons learnt from previous disasters and targets students and professionals working in disaster medicine, disaster public health, humanitarian studies, gerontology and geriatrics.

Disaster Preparedness for Seniors: A Comprehensive Guide for Healthcare Professionals outlines specific disaster scenarios for homebound, community, hospitalized, long term care, homeless and aged veterans. Chapters are written by a diverse group of authors, all of whom offer insight and expertise in training healthcare professionals in preparing for disasters. Topics include myths and realities of natural disasters and disaster preparedness for special populations of elders-the acute care elderly, the community-dwelling elderly, home based primary care senior veterans, the immune-compromised elderly, those with multiple and co morbid illnesses, the long-term care elderly, those elderly at the end of life and the effects of disaster on caregivers. A significant portion of the book is also devoted to training, competencies, literacy, cultural competency and resilience in disaster preparedness as well as the role of the academic medical center. The volume concludes with coverage of the management of behavioral, medical and psychological consequences of disasters. Disaster Preparedness for Seniors: A Comprehensive Guide for Healthcare Professionals is an important new volume and will serve as a guide for the development of programs, policies and procedures for evacuation of seniors during various disaster scenarios.

In the devastation that follows a major disaster, there is a need for multiple sectors to unite and devote new resources to support the rebuilding of infrastructure, the provision of health and social services, the restoration of care delivery systems, and other critical recovery needs. In some cases, billions of dollars from public, private and charitable sources are invested to help communities recover. National rhetoric often characterizes these efforts as a "return to normal." But for many American communities, pre-disaster conditions are far from optimal. Large segments of the U.S. population suffer from preventable health problems, experience inequitable access to services, and rely on overburdened health systems. A return to pre-event conditions in such cases may be short-sighted given the high costs - both economic and social - of poor health. Instead, it is important to understand that the disaster recovery process offers a series of unique and valuable opportunities to improve on the status quo. Capitalizing on these opportunities can advance the long-term health, resilience, and sustainability of communities - thereby better preparing them for future challenges. Healthy, Resilient, and Sustainable Communities After Disasters identifies and recommends recovery practices and novel programs most likely to impact overall community public health and contribute to resiliency for future incidents. This book makes the case that disaster recovery should be guided by a healthy community vision, where health considerations are integrated into all aspects of recovery planning before and after a disaster, and funding streams are leveraged in a coordinated manner and applied to health improvement priorities in order to meet human recovery needs and create healthy built and natural environments. The conceptual framework presented in Healthy, Resilient, and Sustainable Communities After Disasters lays the groundwork to achieve this goal and provides operational guidance for multiple sectors involved in community planning and disaster recovery. Healthy, Resilient, and Sustainable Communities After Disasters calls for actions at multiple levels to facilitate recovery strategies that optimize community health. With a shared healthy community vision, strategic planning that prioritizes health, and coordinated implementation, disaster recovery can result in a communities that are healthier, more livable places for current and future generations to grow and thrive - communities that are better prepared for future adversities.

"Geriatric Mental Health Disaster and Emergency Preparedness significantly contributes to the somewhat limited literature available on this topic." --The Gerontologist "This is a must-read book for clinicians, service providers, policy makers, program planners, and teachers in the fields of mental health, aging, and emergency preparedness." From the Foreword by Robert N. Butler, MD This book provides a comprehensive overview of the essential information that everyone working, or hoping to work in the field of aging, should know about disasters, emergencies, and their effects on the mental health and well-being of older persons. It provides the reader with evidence-based approaches for identifying and classifying mental health problems, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, and substance use disorders in older adults, which may occur during and post disasters/emergencies. Specific attention is given to the special needs and approaches to the care of at-risk groups of older persons such as veterans and holocaust survivors; older adults who are isolated, dependent, have mobility problems, communication deficits, are cognitively impaired, or have other co-morbidities; elders who use meals-on-wheels, vital medications, or home care; or older persons who are in senior centers, nursing homes, or assisted living settings. Key Features Increases understanding of the mental health issues in older adults Provides tools that can foster resiliency and recovery at the community, group, and individual levels Influences the development of positive responses to disasters that can potentially minimize adverse mental and physical outcomes in older persons and maximize individual and group recovery

Includes statistics.

Disasters and Public Health: Planning and Response, Second Edition, examines the critical intersection between emergency management and public health. It provides a succinct overview of the actions that may be taken before, during, and after a major public health emergency or disaster to reduce morbidity and mortality. Five all-new chapters at the beginning of the book describe how policy and law drive program structures and strategies leading to the establishment and maintenance of preparedness capabilities. New topics covered in this edition include disaster behavioral health, which is often the most expensive and longest-term recovery challenge in a public health emergency, and community resilience, a valuable resource upon which most emergency programs and responses depend. The balance of the book provides an in-depth review of preparedness, response, and recovery challenges for 15 public health threats. These chapters also provide lessons learned from responses to each threat, giving users a well-rounded introduction to public health preparedness and response that is rooted in experience and practice. Contains seven new chapters that cover law, vulnerable populations, behavioral health, community resilience, preparedness capabilities, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, and foodborne threats Provides clinical updates by new MD co-author Includes innovative preparedness approaches and lessons learned from current and historic public health and medical responses that enhance clarity and provide valuable examples to readers Presents increased international content and case studies for a global perspective on public health

This book presents the health emergency and disaster risk management (H-EDRM) research landscape, with examples from Asia. In recent years, the intersection of health and disaster risk reduction (DRR) has emerged as an important interdisciplinary field. In several landmark UN agreements adopted in 2015–2016, including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris climate agreement, and the New Urban Agenda (Habitat III), health is acknowledged as an inevitable outcome and a natural goal of disaster risk reduction, and the cross-over of the two fields is essential for the successful implementation of the Sendai Framework. H-EDRM has emerged as an umbrella field that encompasses emergency and disaster medicine, DRR, humanitarian response, community health resilience, and health system resilience. However, this fragmented, nascent field has yet to be developed into a coherent discipline. Key challenges include redundant research, lack of a strategic research agenda, limited development of multisectoral and interdisciplinary approaches, deficiencies in the science–policy–practice nexus, absence of standardized terminology, and insufficient coordination among stakeholders. This book provides a timely and invaluable resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers, scholars, and frontline practitioners as well as policymakers from across the component domains of H-EDRM.

Students and practitioners will find Public Health for an Aging Society an invaluable resource both in the workplace and the classroom.