Geriatric Mental Health Disaster and Emergency Preparedness

Chapter 8 Self-Help Tools for Older Persons and Their Caregivers 147
there is a need for confidence building in emergency preparedness. Currently,
there is little confidence that health care systems in the community
(Alexander, Larkin, & Wynia, 2006), in hospitals (O’Sullivan, et al.,
2008), or in nursing homes (Castro, Persson, Bergstrom, & Cron, 2008)
are well prepared for natural or man-made disasters. Therefore, there
is an overwhelming need to develop individualized tools as part of the
older person’s overall emergency plans. These tools can help individuals
better control fear levels (Boscarino, Figley, & Adams, 2003; Salciog˘ lu &
Ba¸sog˘ lu, 2008 ), minimize disruption in their quality of life (Ross & Bing,
2007), enhance personal safety ( Johnson, et al., 2006), provide peace of
mind (Blessman, et al., 2007 ), provide culturally and ethnically appropriate
information (Bryant & Njenga, 2006; Carter-Pokras, Zambrana, Mora, &
Aaby, 2007; Constantine, Alleyne, Caldwell, McRae, & Suzuki, 2005;
Eisenman, et al., 2006), and improve coping with posttraumatic stress
(Chung, Werrett, Easthope, & Farmer), including reducing the stigma of
mental health problems (Carlos-Otero & Njenga, 2006). Each of these
components plays an important role in decreasing morbidity and mortality
in the older population both during and after a crisis.
In order to ensure these individualized self-help tools will be used, they
should be developed with input from older persons (Arsand & Demiris,
2008). Several such programs have been developed already, although few
have been studied for long-term effectiveness. For example, four community-based
emergency preparedness programs have been developed
in Canada, and two have been successfully tested during a crisis (PHAC,
2008). These programs all use older persons as community resources by
including them in the planning, development, promotion, and execution of
community-wide disaster preparedness plans that both engage and empower
older persons.
Red River, Manitoba, a rural farming community, developed a District
Guardian Program in 2004. This program maintains a database that identifies
residents, their special needs, and available resources. Community
members were included in the planning stages so everyone participated
in providing information for the database. This system was tested during
a flood that threatened the town’s water supply in 2007 and worked well
to maintain order and a sense of control (PHAC, 2008).
The Groupe d’Action Communautaire de Sante Benevole (GACSB)
in Ferland-et-Boillear, Quebec, works to improve the quality of life for
the town’s citizens. The GACSB played a pivotal role in a flood in 1996
by serving as a liaison between older persons and authorities. Older persons
play a critical role in running the GACSB (PHAC, 2008).