Geriatric Mental Health Disaster and Emergency Preparedness

Chapter 5 National and Cross-National Models of Geriatric Disaster 99
progress has been made, recent Canadian studies support the critical need
for strong partnerships between government, community, and volunteer
organizations in disaster management (Health Canada, 2003). Networking
and support in particular should take place with local organizations.
There is an emerging consensus that to be effective, emergency management
must reflect an understanding of the determinants of health and
vulnerability within community infrastructures. The Canadian research
emphasizes learning what individuals and community groups need and
can offer and encouraging their participation in disaster planning. Lindsay
(2007, p. 8) notes, “emergency managers must accept that decreasing
community vulnerability will require more than just better response
plans. Dealing with vulnerability requires emergency management to become
integrated in community decision-making.” It is recommended that
researchers examine initiatives at different levels of government, provide
support for local initiatives, and evaluate best practice strategies over
time (Public Health Agency of Canada, March 2008).
The coordination of planning and relief, improved communication,
and attention to resource gaps are important issues requiring a community-level
response. Mental health issues, including factors that increase
vulnerability and factors that promote resilience, must be mainstreamed
within this response, with due consideration for determinants of health
including age and stage of life.
Vulnerable Populations
A consensus emerging from recent Canadian conferences on older persons
and emergencies, held in 2007 in Winnipeg and 2008 in Halifax, is
that research related to high-risk groups needs to be extended and supported.
Recommendations from the Red Cross report highlight the need
for research regarding the experiences of high-risk populations as well as
assessing the impact disasters have on society, which in turn affects the
capabilities and needs of high-risk groups.
There is currently no consensus on how to mainstream the needs
of vulnerable populations within emergency management operations. In
Canada, one can find online emergency preparedness resources developed
by federal provincial and municipal authorities targeted specifically
to older persons (e.g., British Columbia Ministry of Health, Community
Evacuation Information for Seniors, 2007), as well as resources that include
older persons within a broader target audience focused on specific
functional disabilities (e.g., Emergency Management Ontario, Emergency