Geriatric Mental Health Disaster and Emergency Preparedness

Self-Care
Chapter 12 Complementary and Alternative Approaches 239
During the aftermath of a disaster, it is imperative that health care providers
and caregivers to older persons practice self-care to replenish their
minds, bodies, and spirit. Care of the self is a fundamental component to
maintaining and nourishing the caregiver /care receiver relationship. Ritual
is an excellent tool for self-care. It can be as simple as ritualizing everyday
activities such as consciously washing one’s hands and saying “I wash
away stress” or using positive affirmations such as “ When I laugh I embrace
my power” or “I take the time to notice and appreciate beauty ” to
improve the quality of everyday life. Affirmation cards can be placed on a
desk or taped to a mirror and changed to continually inspire and restore.
Another self-care tool is to use the healing power of music. For example,
humming, singing, clapping, and playing instruments can restore
joy and overall well-being. Musical baths can be taken during the course
of the day through humming after a particularly difficult interaction with
a client, listening to the radio or a CD, and releasing stress through playing
an instrument or belting out a song on the way home from work.
CONCLUSION
There is an ongoing need for ritual, even in contemporary life, for the
well-being of individuals as well as communities. In times of disaster, rituals
address a range of psychological, social, and civic needs associated
with both immediate post-impact and long-term stages of disaster recovery.
Rituals for disaster provide opportunities to honor the past, accept
the present, and move more easily into the future. Rituals provide a
framework for understanding and contextualizing disaster from which
a sense of safety, community, and well-being can be rebuilt. They are medicine
for the spirit!
SUMMARY
Disaster preparedness calls for multiple approaches. Older persons may
be at increased risk due to pre-existing frailties. They may also bring skills
from their life experiences. CAM is often helpful for symptom relief; most
interventions can be used in conjunction with conventional therapies. Using
modalities that are multicultural and universal, as well as increasingly