Abstract
The elderly are at greater risk of harm in disasters than younger adults, making it crucial for planners to provide proper assistance. Mistaken assumptions are associated with the impact of disasters on public health. Disaster planners and managers should be familiar with the myths and realities of the situation. Responses that are not based on an impartial evaluation contribute to the chaos. It is better to wait until real needs have been assessed. Preventing diseases requires improving sanitary conditions and educating the public. Reporters rely on information from victims, survivors, rescue workers, relief activists, and government officials. Training is crucial to the mitigation of mortality and morbidity. Disasters are unique and affect areas with different levels of vulnerability and with distinct social, health, and economic conditions with some similarities. During the post-disaster period, the major issue is defined as re-building the physical environment by emphasizing housing in the recovery program.
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Aguilar, E.A. (2014). Myths and Realities of Natural Disasters Revisited. In: Cefalu, C. (eds) Disaster Preparedness for Seniors. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0665-9_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0665-9_1
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