Your Community

Emergency Preparedness

Guide Book

DISASTERS AND THE ELDERLY

     In the face of a disaster the elderly may experience emotional reactions and stress.  Interveners in disaster situations must be prepared to identify and assist individuals who are showing signs of confusion, disorganization, or depression.

     Elderly individuals often feel a sense of helplessness or despair during, and following a difficult situation that they have been a part of.  Depression can also become evident as the elderly look to rebuilding their lives.  Many other signs become noticeable, such as anxiety, fear, anger, guilt, and grief.

     These are all appropriate emotional reactions.  Following a disaster, interveners are available to assist individuals to mourn their losses and work through the challenges that they face.  The agencies and their staff listed in this booklet are well informed, sensitive individuals who are there to assist our elderly population to regain their sense of control and rebuild their lives.

Elderly As A Source Of Assistance In Disaster

     The elderly are often perceived in a non-helping role, yet in Canada one out of 10 Canadians age 65 and over does volunteer work.  The elderly possess emotional, social, educational and spiritual strengths gathered over a lifetime.  Emergency social services planners could expand their pool of disaster volunteers by tapping into these resources.

     Most Canadian communities have senior citizen groups or organizations that could assist or even take on the responsibility of developing emergency plans for their age group.

     If the elderly in a community cannot take on the emergency planning task or need help in planning, agencies specialized in providing services to the elderly such as the Victorian Order of Nurses, Public Health Nurse, Red Cross, Home-Help Services, and Visiting Homemakers could assist.