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A special issue of the Journal of Applied Gerontology brings together 12 studies on older adults and disasters across the United States, Puerto Rico and China. The research describes how health needs, care disruptions and social losses can combine before, during and after emergencies, while identifying support that may help.
A special issue of the Journal of Applied Gerontology brings together 12 studies examining how disasters affect older adults in the United States, Puerto Rico and China. The research considers risks before, during and after emergencies, including how chronic illness, care disruptions, mobility limits and weakened social connections can compound the effects of hazards such as hurricanes, floods, wildfires and extreme heat.
The studies cover people aging at home as well as residents of assisted living communities and nursing homes. They examine varied influences on later-life outcomes, including childhood adversity, extreme heat, air pollution and losses accumulating after hurricanes. Together, the research treats disaster vulnerability as more than exposure to a single event: existing health needs and the services people rely on can shape what happens when an emergency begins and during recovery.
The special issue reports that disasters can interrupt essential health services beyond the hardest-hit areas. Older adults who have experienced earlier emergencies and regularly manage chronic conditions may still lack plans for continuing care during a disaster. That can include obtaining medication, keeping medical equipment running and staying in contact with health care providers. The report does not say that every older adult faces these same barriers; the studies examine different populations, hazards and care settings.
The editors and contributors also identify potential protective factors, including resilience, self-efficacy, caregiving relationships and reliable information. The issue calls for disaster planning to be integrated into routine clinical care, for stronger preparedness and staffing capacity in long-term care facilities, and for community-based programs that reflect local needs, particularly in rural areas.
Care Needs Continue During Emergencies
The findings matter because an emergency can disrupt the systems older adults use to manage daily health, not just threaten them at the site of a fire, flood or storm. Medication access, powered medical equipment and provider contact may remain necessary during evacuation and recovery, while interruptions to caregiving or familiar routines can make it harder to maintain support.
The research points to responsibilities shared across health care, emergency management, long-term care and community services. Planning that accounts for those connections may help identify gaps before a crisis. The special issue also argues that recovery should include psychological well-being and caregiver support, since isolation and the loss of routines or relationships can have effects beyond immediate physical safety.
These conclusions are based on a collection of studies, not a single test of one intervention. The report describes areas for planning and further attention; it does not establish that any one measure will prevent harm in every emergency.
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Research Across Hazards and Care Settings
The special issue, titled Complex Emergencies and the Effect on Older Populations, was reported by Medical Xpress on October 2, 2026. Its 12 studies span several hazards and care arrangements, from older adults living independently to people in residential care. The breadth is intended to show how circumstances differ rather than treat older adults as one uniform group.
The report situates the research amid repeated and overlapping emergencies, including hurricanes, wildfires, floods and heat waves. It notes that communities may face another event before fully recovering from the previous one. For older adults, the combination of health conditions, mobility constraints, social support and the capacity of care systems can influence preparedness and recovery.
Three editors highlighted different parts of the issue. Lindsay Peterson of the University of South Florida School of Aging Studies emphasized timely, relevant information and support from organizations involved in planning and recovery. Lisa M. Brown of Palo Alto University pointed to mental health, caregiver support and trauma-informed care. David M. Dosa of UMass Chan Medical School said research can inform how communities prepare and respond.
“Motivation alone is not enough.”
— Lindsay Peterson, special issue editor and University of South Florida School of Aging Studies researcher
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Evidence Does Not Settle Every Risk
The supplied report summarizes the special issue but does not provide detailed methods, sample sizes or individual study results. It is therefore not possible from this account to compare the size of risks across hazards, countries or care settings, or to determine which preparedness steps have been tested and with what results.
The report also does not specify how widely older adults lack continuity-of-care plans, how disruptions vary between communities, or which interventions are most effective. The identified protective factors are presented as findings from the research collection, but the summary does not quantify their effects. Local needs and facility circumstances may differ.
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Planning and Research Priorities
The special issue’s authors call for disaster planning to become part of routine clinical care, alongside stronger staffing and preparedness capacity in assisted living communities and nursing homes. They also recommend regulations that account for differing facility risks and expanded community programs, with particular attention to rural areas.
The report does not announce a specific policy deadline, new regulation or follow-up study. The next steps it identifies are for health care providers, emergency planners, care facilities and communities to apply the research to local planning and to continue studying how different supports work across emergencies and populations.
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Key Questions
What is the new development?
The Journal of Applied Gerontology has published a special issue containing 12 studies on disasters and older adults across the United States, Puerto Rico and China.
What kinds of disaster risks does the report describe?
It discusses hazards including hurricanes, floods, wildfires and extreme heat, alongside factors such as chronic illness, mobility, access to care and social support. The report says these circumstances can interact, but does not give a single risk estimate for all older adults.
How can an emergency interrupt health care?
The report says disasters can affect access to medications, functioning medical equipment and health care providers, including beyond the most directly affected areas. It does not quantify how often each disruption occurs.
What support does the special issue recommend?
Its authors call for disaster planning in routine clinical care, better preparedness and staffing in long-term care facilities, regulations suited to different facility risks, and community programs that reflect local circumstances, particularly in rural areas.
Source: rss
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