On May 18, 2006, the Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing on “Caring for Seniors in a National Emergency: Can We Do Better.” The consensus among those testifying at the hearing was that government must do more to ensure the health and safety of older Americans during a disaster.
Among those invited to testify was Carmel Bitondo Dyer, MD, Director, Baylor College of Medicine Geriatrics Program in Texas and Co-director of the Texas Elder Abuse Treatment Institute. Dr. Dyer described first hand the experiences faced by front-line responders in Houston, and offered a number of recommendations for improved disaster preparedness for seniors:
- Develop a simple, inexpensive, cohesive, integrated and efficient tracking system for elders and other vulnerable adults. A start would include a standard, numbered color-coded bracelet system.
- Designate separate shelter areas for elders and other vulnerable adults that can be attended by medical personnel and volunteers to help with special needs.
- Involve gerontologists and geriatric professionals in all aspects of emergency preparedness and care delivery.
- Involve region-specific social, medical, and public health services, volunteers, and facilities in pre-event planning for elders and vulnerable adults.
- Involve gerontologists/ geriatric professionals in training front-line workers and other first responders about frail adults’ unique needs.
- Utilize a public health triage system like the SWiFT – Seniors Without Families Triage Screening Tool© for elders and other vulnerable populations in pre-and post-disaster situations.
- Maintain clear lines of communication – operable cell phones and walkie-talkies should be available.
- Provide protection from abuse and fraud to elders and other vulnerable adults.
- Conduct drills and research on disaster preparedness plans and the use of a triage tool, such as SWiFT, to ensure their effectiveness and reliability.
Senator Herb Kohl (WI), the committee’s ranking minority member, presided at the hearing. Others testifying included: Maurice Frisella of New Orleans, Jean Cefalu, Slidell, Louisiana; Dan Sutherland, Officer, Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Chair, Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities, Department of Homeland Security; Cindy Bascetta, Director for Health Care, U.S. Government Accountability Office; Amy B. Aiken, Assistant Director, Miami-Dade Office of Emergency Management.
More information:
- Emergency Preparedness for Geriatric, Special Needs
- GAO Report: Evacuation of Vulnerable Populations
- Texas Hurricane Katrina Lessons Learned
- Florida Disaster Preparedness Guide for Elders
- Mid-Florida Area Agency on Aging Disaster Preparedness
- North Carolina Vulnerability Assessment Tool
- Nursing Home Evacuation Plans: Myth or Reality. The Greater Cleveland Area as a Case Study
- Older People in Disasters and Humanitarian Crises: Guidelines for Best Practice
July 7, 2006 at 6:21 pm
I incorporated the link to witnesses’ statements into the body of the post, and linked to the Senator’s website. Also fiddled with emphasis formatting in the recommendations list.
Should link to a description of SWiFT–a separate post dedicated to it could be a good idea as well. Need to tweak the titles of the links in the “more information” section. The list of people testifying should flow better. Should it be (D-WI)?
Overall, perhaps could have less of a stark, “primary source document” sound to it.