Comprehensive care for vulnerable elderly veterans during disasters.
Despite problematic evacuation and sheltering of nursing home residents during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, an exploration of the experiences of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) nursing homes (VANHs) is necessary for a comprehensive examination of the healthcare community's response to these disasters. VANH evacuations during these hurricanes have not been widely studied. This exploratory project aimed to provide information about the evacuation experiences and characteristics of vulnerable nursing home residents. Interviews with key informants from VHA facilities with nursing home staff and representatives revealed that physical harm, psychological distress, cognitive decline and increased social isolation were areas that deserved special attention for this vulnerable population. Moreover, physical, psychological and social needs were interconnected in that each influenced the others. Findings contribute to the general conversation about meeting the biopsychosocial needs of nursing home residents in an integrated healthcare delivery system and more broadly, the role of long-term care facilities in general in planning for future disasters.
Veterans Health Administration Emergency Management Evaluation Center and VAGLAHS HSR&D Center of Excellence for Study of Healthcare Provider Behavior, 16111 Plummer St. MS-152, Sepulveda, CA 91343, United States. mclaver@csulb.edu
Maria
M
Claver
Aram
A
Dobalian
Jacqueline J
JJ
Fickel
Karen A
KA
Ricci
Melanie Horn
MH
Mallers
D000368:Aged; D003191:Comprehensive Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D055867:Cyclonic Storms; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000458:organization & administration; D012944:Social Support; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs / Q000458:organization & administration; D014728:Veterans; D035862:Vulnerable Populations