As natural disasters become more frequent and severe, the needs of those most vulnerable must remain a priority in local preparedness planning. This May, Older American’s Month, is an opportunity to ensure that the more than 54 million residents ages 65 or older in our communities are supported during and after disasters. To follow are a few resources to help your health department promote disaster resilience for older populations:
- Capacity-Building Toolkit for including Aging & Disability Networks in Emergency Planning promotes inclusive, whole community planning to address the access and functional needs of older adults and people with disabilities. For community-based organizations with expertise in serving these often-underserved populations, the toolkit enhances the capacity to engage effectively in emergency preparedness, response, and recovery.
- Addressing the Needs of Older Adults in Disasters Web-Based Training improves public health and emergency medical responders’ capability to address the access and functional needs of older adults who are often underserved and disproportionately impacted in emergencies.
- Access and Functional Needs Web-Based Training explains legal requirements for addressing the needs of at-risk individuals, explains access and functional needs, and provides guidance on implementing the CMIST [Communication, Maintaining Health, Independence, Support and Safety, and Transportation] Framework.
- Topic Collection: Access and Functional Needs; Population-Specific Resources: Older Adults assists emergency managers in disaster planning for individuals with access and functional needs, including older adults.
- emPOWER Program Platform provides federal data, mapping, artificial intelligence tools, training, and resources to help protect the health of at-risk Medicare beneficiaries.