Geriatric Mental Health Disaster and Emergency Preparedness

160 Geriatric Mental Health Disaster and Emergency Preparedness
Empowerment Institute employs experts in community-based behavior
change and disaster preparedness. During the 2-year pilot project, they
trained 3,800 New Yorkers living in 40 buildings and blocks throughout
the five boroughs to develop disaster-resilient communities at the building
and block level. Among other issues of leadership skill building, these
leaders were trained in emergency necessities such as forming teams of
neighbors to support one another in taking actions and serving as a support
system in an emergency, identifying and helping older persons and
the disabled in their buildings or on their blocks to prepare and create
evacuation plans, and creating building or block committees to sustain
these developments (Empowerment Institute, 2009). The All Together
Now project was unique in that it included training in assisting older persons
and the disabled in the community. This is an important aspect of
emergency preparedness that was missing during the September 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks and hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and it will be discussed
further in the following sections.
COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS AND DISASTERS
Community members are often the first to respond to a local disaster and
therefore should be prepared to act while waiting for the assistance of
formal organizations (Glass, 2001). Community members will also have a
better understanding of their own community and the needs of fellow
neighbors. Therefore, an effective disaster plan should include knowledgeable
community leaders who will be more alert to areas of vulnerability,
including specific populations at greater risk (Glass). These leaders
and local agencies should collaborate with the emergency organizations—such
as the local chapter of the American Red Cross and community
emergency response teams—to produce valuable synergy in promoting
community preparedness for disaster (Glass). The more a community is
prepared, including collaborating with formal emergency organizations,
the better the community will respond during and after a disaster. Studies
have shown when relief organizations do not work together and do
not collaborate with community organizations, cracks in the disaster service
delivery network result. When an effective service delivery system
provides a complete set of services and linkages, such cracks will not appear
(Gillespie & Murty, 1994). The health and safety of communities following
disasters depends on the ability of residents and local agencies to
be disaster ready (Adams & Canclini, 2008).