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Abstract

Objective: To investigate the extent to which older residents feel they can remain “self-reliant” duringfuture natural disasters and to compare the findings with the viewpoints of local policy-makers and withthose charged with caring for the elderly both on a day-to-day basis and in times of crisis.Methods: This study used an array of non-probability snowballing techniques to seek the participation ofsenior citizens over the age of 65 years, emergency services officers, community health carers, andlocal government disaster managers located in aging, remote, coastal Australian communitiesvulnerable to cyclones and storm surges. All respondents participated in either a face-to-face personalinterview or a focus group, with senior citizens also completing a self-administered questionnaire.Results: This research found a discrepancy between policy expectations and the experiences of boththe elderly and those who care for them, as well as a lack of understanding with regard to the term“self-reliant.”Conclusions: These results highlight the inability of older adults in aging, remote, coastal Australiancommunities to remain “self-reliant” in the future, impacting both disaster management policies and thefuture capacity of these communities to remain resilient.

Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Astill, S and Miller, E
Keywords:	ageing population, natural hazards, cyclones, self-reliance, emergency management policies
Journal or Publication Title:	Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
ISSN:	1935-7893
DOI / ID Number:	https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2017.33
Copyright Information:	Copyright 2017 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health
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