Stress and limited access to relief material and aid makes the older population among the worst sufferers during natural calamities like floods, landslips, cyclones, earthquakes, etc., and in the aftermath.
NGO Agewell Foundation observed that the immediate reaction of all able-bodied people during a calamity is self-protection, concern for women and children, and safety and recovery of important documents, property and valuables.
“Elderly persons in the family are expected to look after themselves. The focus shifts on them at the end. Natural calamities are devastating for all but old people remain the most vulnerable section. They suffer due poor health, emotional vulnerability and poor physical strength,” the group said.
NGO founder-chairman Himanshu Rath said, “Government agencies, NGOs, corporates, organisations and individuals rush to affected areas with relief material and help, but overlook the specific needs of old people. While making relief plans, they should also think about the elderly and attempt to reach out to them on priority basis.”
He said the most disturbing problems of the elderly during natural disasters include medical and health-related problems, psychological issues, physical security-related issues, and food and shelter-related issues.
Elderly persons dependent on medicines are most the affected in the wake of disasters, said volunteers. Further, 33% of them claimed that psychological problems of the elderly were very critical as there was no mental health counselling available during or after such distress situations. The first issue for old people is non-availability or scarcity of regular medication. It lead to an upheaval in their health, both physical and emotional.
“Affected older people also find it very difficult to get their share in relief material and aid. They suffer as they do not get food and medicines, and cannot take proper rest — which is what they need most in old age. They end up suffering for a long time, in some cases for months and years. Many elderly persons meet early death due to the compromised and devastated life, and emotional issues soon after the natural disaster,” added the release.
Experts said the stress caused by having to cope with a natural disaster increases symptoms of serious health issues in the elderly. They remain perplexed all the time, disoriented due to loss of property and loved ones, and displacement from home and familiar surroundings. It is the main cause of increased susceptibility to age-related diseases.
“We have also observed that evacuation of the elderly during natural disasters is complicated due to their limited mobility. In addition to physical barriers in coping with natural disasters, mental barriers in the form of impairment of memory and reasoning make it difficult for them to respond adequately to complex and chaotic situations,” noted the foundation, adding that relief material hardly contain medicines often used by old people.
It also observed that during distribution of relief material, older people are the last recipients as as they find it difficult to reach the point of relief distribution in time. In many cases, they even remain deprived of relief material and help.
