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Issues of Safety Confirmation for Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Experience of a Flood Disaster in Kumamoto, Japan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2024

Tomoko Wakui ,
Rika Ohtsuka  and
Shuichi Awata
Tomoko Wakui
Affiliation:
Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan Research & Development Center for Health Services of University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
Rika Ohtsuka
Affiliation:
National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
Shuichi Awata
Affiliation:
Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan
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Abstract

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Objective

Prompt safety confirmations before and after a disaster are key to reducing risks in disasters among older adults. This study aims to reveal issues in contacting fragile older adults once flood disaster strikes to ensure a sustainable safety net.

Methods

Focus group interviews were conducted in three municipalities of Kumamoto, Japan, which experienced a flood disaster in July 2020, with nine care managers, nurses, and center directors of community-based integrated support centers in August 2023.

Results

Communication records of support and lists of older adults requiring support in regular operations were useful, and the safety of those on the lists was first confirmed immediately after the disaster struck. However, confirmation of safety of those who did not rely regularly on public services, those who lived alone, and older couples, was delayed and their safety was determined by their neighbors’ reports.

Conclusions

Prompt safety confirmation system in the event of a disaster is required for, in particular, fragile older adults who do not rely on public services, which lead to early support intervention.

Type
Abstract
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 18 , 2024 , e163
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.
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