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Senate Reviews Emergency Safety for Seniors
By
Michael A. Piekarz
Staff Writer
The
U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing on June 24th
to examine ways to increase the safety and awareness of seniors and
those living with special needs when disasters or public health emergencies
arise.
During the hearing, conducted by Sen. Mel Martinez, D-Fla., the Committee took
testimony from local, state and federal witnesses on how to increase the safety
of all Americans, with emphasis on protecting the most vulnerable through targeted
personal and collaborative efforts.
“Threats vary from state to state and region to region. Whether it is a
flood, blizzard, earthquake or fire, emergency responders at every level ought
to be prepared to assist our most vulnerable citizens,” Sen. Martinez stated.
The special safety concerns of America’s seniors became a target for lawmakers
in the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina nearly four years ago.
When Katrina struck New Orleans, only 15 percent of the city’s population
was age-60 or older, but 74 percent of hurricane-related deaths were seniors.
“Older adults are often the hardest hit when Mother Nature is at her worst — no
one should be endangered by virtue of their age, living situation or physical
capabilities,” vowed Martinez.
Director Richard E. Besser, M.D., Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness
and Emergency Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provided
testimony about the CDC’s role in preparing the national response to health-related
emergencies.
Besser focused on the current threat faced by seniors during the swine flu pandemic.
While he does not believe seniors are at a greater risk for contracting the swine
flu, he feels that communities must prepare for the upcoming flu season, when
seniors are among the most vulnerable.
“Overall, we are more ready for an influenza pandemic or other public health
emergency today than we have been at any other point in our nation’s history,” Besser
analyzed. “CDC’s preparedness activities have reached communities
across the county, helping [to] improve the nation’s ongoing response to
the current influenza pandemic.”
Tim Manning, the deputy administrator for national preparedness, Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), provided his agency’s perspective on the issue.
Manning testified that, historically, considerations for special needs populations
have been inadequate, but that lessons learned post-Katrina have helped in the
identification of a large segment of the population which may not be able to
successfully plan for and respond to an emergency with the resources typically
accessible to the general population.
Manning recommended that efforts be made to encourage personal preparedness,
which he described as a process of individual thinking and consideration of basic
steps that each of us must take to help prevent and prepare for the next disaster.
He suggested that all Americans must take responsibility for preparing themselves,
their families and their communities for natural calamities.
Secretary for the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, Douglas Beach, highlighted
the role his department plays in representing the needs of seniors and helping
his state prepare for natural emergencies.
Beach was joined by LuMarie Polivka, the senior vice president of policy for
the Florida Health Care Association. Her testimony stressed the necessity of
redundancy in disaster planning and coordination of efforts at the local, state
and federal level.
The last witness appearing before the Committee was Sandy Markwood, chief executive
officer of National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Markwood provided
her agency’s insights on the unique challenges facing seniors during times
of natural or manmade disasters.
“Area Agencies on Aging have found through their experiences in responding
to disasters that older adults have distinct needs [which] present challenges
to community-wide emergency planning and response,” Markwood explained.
“Each stage of an emergency — during evacuation, at emergency shelters
or when returning to the community — needs to be handled differently when
dealing with frail, older adults,” she added.
Markwood listed several challenges faced by seniors during emergencies, including
a lack of regular health support and services, and the complexity of senior medical
needs that precludes the “one size fits all” approach normally taken
when planning for disaster relief.
The Committee noted that advance preparation, such as having a communications
plan and an emergency kit with an extra pair of glasses or a hearing aid battery,
are the kinds of steps that might mean the difference between life and death
for seniors facing a disaster.
It was also found that emergency responders have taken significant steps to address
the unique needs of seniors and that the role of government is ensuring that
caregivers are trained in emergency-preparedness procedures and response coordination.
“Each year, new threats emerge as old threats largely remain,” Martinez
commented. “We must not forget the special needs of our seniors, whether
the threat is natural, manmade or public health emergencies.”
The Committee is expected to recommend legislative action after further study.
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Metropolitan News Company, Inc.
