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Disaster Preparedness for Seniors pp 249–260Cite as

Literacy and Disaster Preparedness for Seniors

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Abstract

Since the US Department of Homeland Security identified disaster preparedness a “national imperative,” numerous government, nonprofit, and relief organizations have endeavored to educate and prepare the American public for disasters. However, older adults, defined as 65 years and older, are the least prepared subgroup of the population and historically have the highest rate of disaster-related deaths relative to the general population (Burton and Breen, Lancet. 2005;360(Suppl):47; Duggan et al., Int J Older People Nurs. 2010;5(1):71–76; HelpAge International, Older people in disasters and humanitarian crises: guidelines for best practice. London: Author; 2005; The Council for Excellence in Government, Are we ready? Introducing the public readiness index: a survey-based tool to measure the preparedness of individuals, families, and communities. http://www.citizencorps.gov/downloads/pdf/ready/pri_report.pdf, 2006; Wells, Protecting and assisting older people in emergencies [Network Paper No. 53]. London: Humanitarian Practice Network, Overseas Development Institute; 2005). Despite a growing number of well thought-out government and nonprofit disaster preparedness programs, literature suggests current preparedness programs are ineffective for older adults. Problems with current preparedness guidelines include content that is not tailored nor effectively disseminated to this specific at-risk audience. The lack of alignment between the literacy demands of existing materials and the literacy skills of many older adults limits their ability to understand and effectively use potentially lifesaving preparedness information. This chapter reviews the literature on literacy and older adults, proposes a new model for “disaster literacy,” and describes opportunities for incorporating best practices into planning and preparedness activities. The authors define disaster literacy as an individual’s ability to read, understand, and use information to make informed decisions and follow instructions in the context of mitigating, preparing, responding, and recovering from a disaster. Recommendations are also made for developing and evaluating disaster preparedness materials for older adults. Authors suggest evaluation and data findings should be used to dictate media type (e.g., paper-based, film, audio recordings, websites), message, and point of contact of disaster preparedness materials. Authors conclude that research and evaluation that pilot tests the message (i.e., content), media type, and context is critical to meet and improve the disaster literacy needs of older adults.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Aging Studies, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce B Downs Blvd., MHC1318, Tampa, FL, USA

    Lisa M. Brown Ph.D.

  2. Center for Innovation in Disability and Rehabilitation Research VISN8 (CIDRR8), James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, 8900 Grand Oak Circle, Tampa, FL, 33637, USA

    Jolie Haun Ph.D

  3. College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce B Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL, USA

    Jolie Haun Ph.D

Authors
  1. Lisa M. Brown Ph.D.
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  2. Jolie Haun Ph.D
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Correspondence to Lisa M. Brown Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

    Charles A. Cefalu

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Brown, L.M., Haun, J. (2014). Literacy and Disaster Preparedness for Seniors. In: Cefalu, C. (eds) Disaster Preparedness for Seniors. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0665-9_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0665-9_17

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