During floods, evacuations become a reality. This is stressful for local officials issuing an evacuation order as well as citizens. Think how much more stressful an evacuation is for persons who are elderly, disabled or have special medical needs after a hospital stay.
However, if you plan ahead of time, much of this stress can be eliminated. Use the local media to help citizens prepare for disasters. During the Flood of 1993, St. Louis Police Sgt. Vince Stehlin conducted a citywide survey to identify elderly and disabled residents, their medications and how to contact their relatives. Additionally, he did extensive public awareness campaigns educating citizens about shelter locations and what items citizens need to bring to the shelter.
Tips for Disabled Citizens:
Deborah K. Dee, Ph.D., Commissioner for the St. Louis Office on Disabled, Department of Human Services, made the following observations for emergency management officials at the 1995 Spring Conference:
Identify
special shelters that can accommodate elderly or disabled citizens with things
such as wheelchair access, larger restroom facilities and accommodations for
service animals;
Have
the local television stations prepare closed caption evacuation instructions
for citizens with hearing impairments. Prepare
and distribute educational materials in large print, audio tape, or Braille to
those with vision impairments;
Offer
special training to volunteers who will be tasked with assisting disabled
persons in evacuating
Issue
photo identification cards for volunteers.
Medical Special
Needs Sheltering:
As more citizens experience shortened hospital stays
and recuperate at home, emergency managers need to plan sheltering options for
people needing constant medical supervision (e.g., recently discharged
hospital patients may need more care than can be given in a mass care
shelter). . To accommodate these
citizens, the Virginia Department of Emergency Services identified Special
Needs Shelters. During Hurricane
Felix, these shelters were designed to meet basic health care needs and were
staffed with public health nurses, social service workers, volunteers and an
ambulance team to take emergency cases to the hospital.
Virginia points out this system works well for
citizens who are fairly self sufficient.
However, the special needs shelters got calls from citizens who needed
too much medical attention (i.e., a patient released from the hospital in a
full body cast).
Plan and identify special needs shelters now.
Work closely with volunteer agencies, the Missouri Departments of
Social Services, Health and Senior Services, and Mental Health, as well as
local hospitals, to plan for special medical needs sheltering during a
disaster.
Problems
Associated with Evacuating the Elderly and Disabled:
Aging agencies urge Emergency Management Directors to
consider the following problems their volunteers will face when evacuating the
elderly and/or disabled during a disaster:
Delayed
Response Syndrome
-- Elderly persons respond more slowly to a crisis and often do not fully
understand the magnitude of their loss, injury or potential dangers.
Fear
of Institutionalization
-- Reassure elderly persons they will receive medical assistance without fear of
being placed in a nursing home.
Transfer
Trauma --
Older citizens fear being removed from their homes.
Sensory
Loss --
Assess the citizen’s ability to see, hear, or feel and adapt rescue techniques
accordingly.
Hearing
Loss -- Persons with a hearing loss may appear disoriented and
confused. Determine if the
individual uses a hearing aid, has it available and operational, or if an
interpreter is needed to communicate.
Vision
Loss --
Persons with visual impairments also need special considerations. Identify
yourself and why you are there. Remain
calm and reassuring. If possible
take the individual’s eyeglasses with you when evacuating.
Allow the person to hold on to your upper arm during the evacuation
process.
Medications
-- If
possible gather all medications when evacuating.
Later make a list including the names of the physician and the pharmacy.
Mobility
Requirements --
Adapt your rescue techniques to the disability (sight, hearing, or using a
wheelchair). Allow the individual
to tell you how he/she should be assisted.
Specially trained companion animals should be evacuated with the disabled
persons who use them.
Dementia
-- Turn off lights and sirens, identify yourself and why you are there; speak
slowly using appropriate voice tones; ask yes or no questions; repeat the
questions if necessary; maintain eye contact.