Home      Login

Abstract: 

Under the aegis of the Baylor College of Medicine, the American Medical Association, the Harris County Hospital District, Care for the Elders, and the AARP Foundation, the report, “Recommendations for Best Practices in the Management of Elderly Disaster Victims” is now available. The publication outlines the challenges that faced elders and vulnerable adults evacuated in the wake of Hurricane Katrina from New Orleans to Houston’s Reliant Astrodome Complex (RAC), how a team of geriatric and gerontological professionals responded, and what they learned from the experience, culminating in 10 recommendations for best practices for managing elderly and disabled victims of future disasters. The report also contains a literature review, data tables on Harris County deaths related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the demographics of Katrina patients served in the RAC, a descriptive analysis of the SWiFT data, an annotated bibliography, and are accompanied by a personal account by Nora Baladerian (see article 3).

Keywords: “Recommendations for Best Practices in the Management of Elderly Disaster Victims”; elders and vulnerable adults evacuated after Hurricane Katrina to Houston; Harris County deaths related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; triage instrument develope

Affiliations:  1: Texas APS program, retired.