Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T21:23:56.000Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Multi-disciplinary Care for the Elderly in Disasters: An Integrative Review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 November 2014

Heather L. Johnson ,
Catherine G. Ling  and
Elexis C. McBee
Heather L. Johnson*
Affiliation:
The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing, Bethesda, MarylandUSA
Catherine G. Ling
Affiliation:
The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing, Bethesda, MarylandUSA
Elexis C. McBee
Affiliation:
The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, Bethesda, MarylandUSA
*
Correspondence: Heather L. Johnson, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing 4301 Jones Bridge Rd Bethesda, Maryland 20814 USA E-mail [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Introduction

Older adults are disproportionately affected by disaster. Frail elders, individuals with chronic diseases, conditions, or disabilities, and those who live in long-term care facilities are especially vulnerable.

Purpose

The purpose of this integrative review of the literature was to describe the system-wide knowledge and skills that multi-disciplinary health care providers need to provide appropriate care for the elderly during domestic-humanitarian and disaster-relief efforts.

Data sources

A systematic search protocol was developed in conjunction with a research librarian. Searches of PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were conducted using terms such as Disaster, Geological Processes, Aged, Disaster Planning, and Vulnerable Populations. Forty-six articles met criteria for inclusion in the review.

Conclusions

Policies and guidance regarding evacuating versus sheltering in place are lacking. Tenets of elderly-focused disaster planning/preparation and clarification of legal and ethical standards of care and liability issues are needed. Functional capacity, capabilities, or impairments, rather than age, should be considered in disaster preparation. Older adults should be included in disaster planning as population-specific experts.

Implications for Practice

A multifaceted approach to population-specific disaster planning and curriculum development should include consideration of the biophysical and psychosocial aspects of care, ethical and legal issues, logistics, and resources.

JohnsonHL, LingCG, McBeeEC. Multi-disciplinary Care for the Elderly in Disasters: An Integrative Review. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(1):1-8.

Keywords

disasterdisaster planningdisaster victimsepidemicsfrail elderlyhealth services for the agedhealth care personnellong-term carevulnerable populations
Type
Comprehensive Review
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 30 , Issue 1 , February 2015 , pp. 72 - 79
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Aldrich, N, Benson, WF. Disaster preparedness and the chronic disease needs of vulnerable older adults. Prev Chronic Dis. 2008;5(1):A27.Google ScholarPubMed
2. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. National Disaster Survey Report: July 1995 Heat Wave. Silver Spring, Maryland USA; 1995.Google Scholar
3. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC's Disaster Planning Goal: Protect Vulnerable Older Adults. Atlanta, Georgia USA: Center for Disease Control and Prevention; 2012.Google Scholar
4. Rothman, M, Brown, LM. The vulnerable geriatric casualty: medical needs of frail older adults during disasters. Generations. 2007;31(4):16-20.Google Scholar
5. Cooper, A. Vulnerable Populations in Disasters: Health Effects and Needs. 2009: http://www.iom.edu/~/media/Files/Activity%20Files/PublicHealth/MedPrep/Jun-10-11-2009-Commissioned%20Papers/Jun-10-11-2009-Commissioned-Paper-Vulnerable-Populations-in-Disasters-Health-Effects-and-Needs.pdf. Accessed April 25, 2014.Google Scholar
6. Chan, JL, Burkle, FM Jr. A framework and methodology for navigating disaster and global health in crisis literature. PLoS Curr. 2013;5.Google ScholarPubMed
7. Bibb, SC, Wanzer, LJ. Determining the evidence in the perioperative environment: standardizing research process tools for conducting the integrative review of the literature. Periop Nurs Clin. 2008;3(1):1-17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8. Fineout-Overholt, E, Melnyk, BM, Stillwell, SB, Williamson, KM. Evidence-based practice, step by step: critical appraisal of the evidence: part III. Am J Nurs. 2010;110(11):43-51.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9. Shenk, D, Ramos, B, Kalaw, KJ, Tufan, I. History, memory, and disasters among older adults: a life course perspective. Traumatology. 2009;15(2):20-30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10. Dosa, DM, Grossman, N, Wetle, T, Mor, V. To evacuate or not to evacuate: lessons learned from Louisiana nursing home administrators following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2007;8(3):142-149.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11. American Nurses Association. Post-disaster care for older adults, effects of housing downturn. American Nurse. 2011;43(6):6.Google Scholar
12. Brown, JS, Cherry, KE, Marks, LD, et al. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: gender differences in health and religiosity in middle-aged and older adults. Health Care Women Int. 2010;31(11):997-1012.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13. Brown, LM, Bruce, ML, Hyer, K, Mills, WL, Vongxaiburana, E, Polivka-West, L. A pilot study evaluating the feasibility of psychological first aid for nursing home residents. Clin Gerontol. 2009;32(3):293-308.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14. Castro, C, Persson, D, Bergstrom, N, Cron, S. Surviving the storms: emergency preparedness in Texas nursing facilities and assisted living facilities. J Gerontol Nurs. 2008;34(8):9-16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15. Dosa, D, Hyer, K, Thomas, K, et al. To evacuate or shelter in place: implications of universal hurricane evacuation policies on nursing home residents. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2012;13(2):190.e191-197.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16. Roberto, KA, Henderson, TL, Kamo, Y, McCann, BR. Challenges to older women's sense of self in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Health Care Women Int. 2010;31(11):981-996.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17. NRC. Surviving the summer sun. Nurs & Resid Care. 2006;8(8):341.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18. Blanchard, G, Dosa, D. A comparison of the nursing home evacuation experience between Hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Gustav (2008). J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2009;10(9):639-643.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19. Cherry, KE, Brown, JS, Marks, LD, et al. Longitudinal assessment of cognitive and psychosocial functioning after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: exploring disaster impact on middle-aged, older, and oldest-old adults. J Appl Biobehav Res. 2011;16(3-4):187-211.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20. Christensen, JJ, Brown, LM, Hyer, K. A haven of last resort: the consequences of evacuating Florida nursing home residents to nonclinical buildings. Geriatr Nurs. 2012;33(5):375-383.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21. Henderson, TL, Roberto, KA, Kamo, Y. Older adults’ responses to Hurricane Katrina: daily hassles and coping strategies. J Appl Gerontol. 2010;29(1):48-69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22. Neupert, S, Almeida, D, Mroczek, D, Spiro, A III. The effects of the Columbia shuttle disaster on the daily lives of older adults: findings from the VA Normative Aging Study. Aging Ment Health. 2006;10(3):272-281.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23. Pietrzak, RH, Southwick, SM, Tracy, M, Galea, S, Norris, FH. Posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and perceived needs for psychological care in older persons affected by Hurricane Ike. J Affect Disord. 2012;138(1-2):96-103.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24. Pietrzak, RH, Van Ness, PH, Fried, TR, Galea, S, Norris, FH. Trajectories of posttraumatic stress symptomatology in older persons affected by a large-magnitude disaster. J Psychiatr Res. 2013;47(4):520-526.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25. Rami, JS, Singleton, EK, Spurlock, W, Eaglin, AR. A school of nursing's experience with providing health care for Hurricane Katrina evacuees. ABNF J. 2008;19(3):102-106.Google ScholarPubMed
26. Boscarino, JA, Adams, RE, Figley, CR. Mental health service use after the World Trade Center disaster: utilization trends and comparative effectiveness. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2011;199(2):91-99.Google ScholarPubMed
27. Kessler, RC. Hurricane Katrina's impact on the care of survivors with chronic medical conditions. J Gen Intern Med. 2007;22(9):1225-1230.Google ScholarPubMed
28. Laditka, SB, Laditka, JN, Cornman, CB, Davis, CB, Chandlee, MJ. Disaster preparedness for vulnerable persons receiving in-home, long-term care in South Carolina. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2008;23(2):133-142.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29. Laditka, SB, Laditka, JN, Cornman, CB, Davis, CB, Richter, JV. Resilience and challenges among staff of gulf coast nursing homes sheltering frail evacuees following Hurricane Katrina, 2005: implications for planning and training. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2009;24(1):54-62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30. Laditka, SB, Laditka, JN, Xirasagar, S, Cornman, CB, Davis, CB, Richter, JV. Providing shelter to nursing home evacuees in disasters: lessons from Hurricane Katrina. Am J Public Health. 2008;98(7):1288-1293.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
31. Langan, JC, Palmer, JL. Listening to and learning from older adult Hurricane Katrina survivors. Public Health Nurs. 2012;29(2):126-135.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
32. Rebmann, T, Carrico, R, English, JF. Lessons public health professionals learned from past disasters. Public Health Nurs. 2008;25(4):344-352.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
33. Spaulding, AB, Radi, D, Macleod, H, et al. Design and implementation of a statewide influenza nurse triage line in response to pandemic H1N1 influenza. Public Health Rep. 2012;127(5):532-540.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
34. Hogan, TP, Holmes, SA, Rapacki, LM, et al. Disaster preparedness and response practices among providers from the Veterans Health Administration and Veterans with spinal cord injuries and/or disorders. J Spinal Cord Med. 2011;34(4):353-361.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
35. Palumbo, JP, Meek, JI, Fazio, DM, Turner, SB, Hadler, JL, Sofair, AN. Unexplained deaths in Connecticut, 2002-2003: failure to consider category a bioterrorism agents in differential diagnoses. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2008;2(2):87-94.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
36. Jenkins, JL, McCarthy, M, Kelen, G, Sauer, LM, Kirsch, T. Changes needed in the care for sheltered persons: a multistate analysis from Hurricane Katrina. Am Journal Disaster Med. 2009;4(2):101-106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
37. Gershon, RR, Kraus, LE, Raveis, VH, Sherman, MF, Kailes, JI. Emergency preparedness in a sample of persons with disabilities. Am Journal Disaster Med. 2013;8(1):35-47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
38. Metzger, KE, Black, SR, Jones, RC, et al. Identification, management, and clinical characteristics of hospitalized patients with influenza-like illness during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, Cook County, Illinois. Infect Control Hospital Epidem. 2011;32(10):998-1002.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
39. Kamo, Y, Henderson, TL, Roberto, KA. Displaced older adults’ reactions to and coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. J Fam Issues. 2011;32(10):1346-1370.Google Scholar
40. Petinaux, B, Yadav, K. Patient-driven resource planning of a health care facility evacuation. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2013;28(2):120-126.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
41. Lamb, KV, O'Brien, C. An overview: disaster preparedness for gerontological nurses. Geriatric Nursing. 2010;31(3):228-230.Google Scholar
42. Somes, J, Stephens Donatelli, N. Disaster planning considerations involving the geriatric patient: part I. J Emerg Nurs. 2012;38(5):479-481.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
43. Donatelli, NS, Somes, J. Disaster planning considerations involving the geriatric patient: part II. J Emerg Nurs. 2012;38(6):563-567.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
44. Claver, M, Dobalian, A, Fickel, JJ, Ricci, KA, Mallers, MH. Comprehensive care for vulnerable elderly veterans during disasters. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2013;56(1):205-213.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
45. Polivka-West, L, Berman, A. Safeguarding seniors during hurricanes. American J Nurs. 2008;108(1):28.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
46. Dosa, DM, Hyer, K, Brown, LM, Artenstein, AW, Polivka-West, L, Mor, V. The controversy inherent in managing frail nursing home residents during complex hurricane emergencies. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2008;9(8):599-564.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
47. Washington Update. Title VII funding, Medicare Part D deadline, influenza pandemic. Ann Longterm Care. 2006;14(6):19-20.Google Scholar
48. Adelman, DS, Legg, TJ. Caring for older adults with dementia when disaster strikes. J Gerontol Nurs. 2010;36(8):13-17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
49. Charatan, F. New Orleans doctor is charged with giving lethal injections during floods. BMJ. 2006;333(7561):218.Google ScholarPubMed
50. Pandemic strikes--who receives no treatment? ED Manag. 2008;20(7):76-77.Google Scholar
51. Kleinpeter, MA. Shifts in dialysis patients from natural disasters in 2005. Hemodial Int. 2007;11(3):S33-37.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
52. Johnson, A, Howe, JL, McBride, MR, et al. Bioterrorism and Emergency Preparedness in Aging (BTEPA): HRSA-funded GEC collaboration for curricula and training. Gerontol Geriatr Educ. 2006;26(4):63-86.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
53. Powell, T. Family participation in the care of patients in public health disasters. J Clin Ethics. 2010;21(4):288-293.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
54. Kaldy, J. Hurricane Katrina: pharmacists reflect on lessons learned. Consult Pharm. 2007;22(3):199-202.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
55. Spaulding, AB, Radi, D, Macleod, H, et al. Satisfaction and public health cost of a statewide influenza nurse triage line in response to pandemic H1N1 influenza. PloS one. 2013;8(1):15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
56. Perritt, KR, Herbert, R, Levin, SM, Moline, J. Work-related injuries and illnesses reported by World Trade Center response workers and volunteers. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2011;26(6):401-407.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
57. AARP Foundation. Five disaster prep tips for older americans. 2013; http://www.aarp.org/aarp-foundation/our-work/housing/info-2012/emergency-disaster-preparedness-plans-for-seniors.html. Accessed April 25, 2014.Google Scholar