Emergency Preparedness in Elderly Care in Sweden: A Study of Staff Perspectives

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-93
Author(s):  
Carin Björngren Cuadra
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Public Health Preparedness ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Preparedness Plan ◽  
And Training

AbstractObjectiveThe aim was to investigate the interface between elderly care and emergency preparedness from the elderly care staff’s perspective.MethodsA web-based questionnaire was sent to elderly care staff in 4 Swedish municipalities. The questions involved experiences of extraordinary events, education and exercises, and risk and vulnerability analyses, evaluations of main risks and emergency preparedness, and familiarity with preparedness plans. In total, 568 elderly care staff responded.ResultsBetween 15% and 25% of the respondents claimed experiences of extraordinary events, exercises and education, and risk and vulnerability analyses. The same number claimed familiarity with the organization’s preparedness plan, whereas ~85% answered that they need more education and exercises. Emergency preparedness was evaluated as important. The experiences and risks referred to pertained to both official categories used within emergency preparedness and issues such as work conditions, seniors’ fall accidents.ConclusionElderly care staff, though highly motivated, do not seem to be involved in emergency preparedness and are not targeted to a large extent when education and training are organized. A development of the interface between emergency preparedness and elderly care could require a clarification of the scope and context of emergency preparedness and of differing understandings of central concepts. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:86–93)

Perspectives of Future Physicians on Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness: Challenges of Building a Capable and Sustainable Auxiliary Medical Workforce

2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 210-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather E. Kaiser ◽  
Daniel J. Barnett ◽  
Edbert B. Hsu ◽  
Thomas D. Kirsch ◽  
James J. James ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Natural Disaster ◽  
Pandemic Influenza ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Disaster Medicine ◽  
Public Health Preparedness ◽  
Web Based ◽  
And Training

ABSTRACTBackground: Although the training of future physicians in disaster preparedness and public health issues has been recognized as an important component of graduate medical education, medical students receive relatively limited exposure to these topics. Recommendations have been made to incorporate disaster medicine and public health preparedness into medical school curricula. To date, the perspectives of future physicians on disaster medicine and public health preparedness issues have not been described.Methods: A Web-based survey was disseminated to US medical students. Frequencies, proportions, and odds ratios were calculated to assess perceptions and self-described likelihood to respond to disaster and public health scenarios.Results: Of the 523 medical students who completed the survey, 17.2% believed that they were receiving adequate education and training for natural disasters, 26.2% for pandemic influenza, and 13.4% for radiological events, respectively; 51.6% felt they were sufficiently skilled to respond to a natural disaster, 53.2% for pandemic influenza, and 30.8% for radiological events. Although 96.0% reported willingness to respond to a natural disaster, 93.7% for pandemic influenza, and 83.8% for a radiological event, the majority of respondents did not know to whom they would report in such an event.Conclusions: Despite future physicians' willingness to respond, education and training in disaster medicine and public health preparedness offered in US medical schools is inadequate. Equipping medical students with knowledge, skills, direction, and linkages with volunteer organizations may help build a capable and sustainable auxiliary workforce. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2009;3:210–216)

Emergency preparedness and vulnerable populations: Lessons learned for education and training

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Isralowitz, PhD ◽  
Patricia Findley, DrPH, MSW
Keyword(s):  
Vulnerable Populations ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Stress Reactions ◽  
Preparedness Plan ◽  
Additional Education ◽  
And Training

First responders, including those addressing mental health and social work needs, should be prepared and trained to respond in times of crises. However, too often such preparation is not taken until after a crisis has occurred. This article describes a cross national working exchange between United States and Israeli academic and human service personnel who engaged in a process to identify the lessons learned from disaster situations. Qualitative analysis of the focus groups identified that the most vulnerable populations, including children, immigrants, the elderly, and those with disabilities need a coordinated preparedness plan and that local efforts tend to be reactive to meet emergency needs. The need to prepare staff and volunteers for disaster response and management was also identified, including curriculum to address stress reactions. This initiative reveals the need for the development of additional education and training projects, as well as preparatory activities, to address the needs of vulnerable people including the elderly, immigrants, children and youth, underserved minority people as well as disaster relief staff and volunteers.

Development of a web-based emergency preparedness plan system in Korea

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (11) ◽  
pp. 2110-2115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaedeuk Park ◽  
Younghee Lee ◽  
Yi Yoon ◽  
Sougboum Kim ◽  
Il Moon
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Preparedness Plan

scholarly journals Collaborating with Sovereign Tribal Nations to Legally Prepare for Public Health Emergencies

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (S2) ◽  
pp. 55-58
Author(s):  
Tina Batra Hershey
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Public Health Preparedness ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Public Health Emergencies ◽  
Us Government ◽  
Tribal Governments ◽  
Tribal Nations ◽  
Coordination And Collaboration

Public health emergencies, including infectious disease outbreaks and natural disasters, are issues faced by every community. To address these threats, it is critical for all jurisdictions to understand how law can be used to enhance public health preparedness, as well as improve coordination and collaboration across jurisdictions. As sovereign entities, Tribal governments have the authority to create their own laws and take the necessary steps to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and emergencies. Legal preparedness is a key component of public health preparedness. This article first explains legal preparedness and Tribal sovereignty and then describes the relationship between Tribal Nations, the US government, and states. Specific Tribal concerns with respect to emergency preparedness and the importance of coordination and collaboration across jurisdictions for emergency preparedness are discussed. Examples of collaborative efforts between Tribal and other governments to enhance legal preparedness are described.

Community ready! Assessing and meeting the needs of parents in Arlington County, VA

2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Marina S. Moses, DrPH, MS ◽  
Donna S. Caruso, RN, MSN ◽  
Timothy G. Otten, MPH ◽  
Sam Simmens, PhD ◽  
Tee L. Guidotti, MD, MPH
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Public Health Preparedness ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Emergency Preparedness

In March 2006, three elementary schools, composed of at least 50 percent Latino populations, were selected in Arlington, VA, to participate in a multitiered survey to evaluate parents’ emergency preparedness needs. This article describes how to identify vulnerable populations and tailor specific information and services to their public health needs. An oral survey was administered to parents in their preferred language, English or Spanish, regarding their questions, concerns, preferences, and needs pertaining to public health emergency preparedness. Major themes that emerged included the need for language and culturally sensitive preparedness information; the merit of using established community venues for parents to gather; and the importance of using group specific preferred modes of information dissemination. Significant differences were observed between English speakers and Spanish speakers’ perceived vulnerability, level of preparedness, and preferences for acquiring information. An important similarity that presented itself was that all parents surveyed regard the public school system as safe, trustworthy, and best suited for providing public health preparedness information to the community. Based on this study, an innovative model is being developed called Community Ready! which will be an all-hazards approach to public health preparedness outreach that will be reproducible in other municipalities and school districts.

The Promise and Pitfalls of Community Resilience

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 603-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lori Uscher-Pines ◽  
Anita Chandra ◽  
Joie Acosta
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Community Resilience ◽  
Public Health Preparedness ◽  
Important Shift

AbstractAn important shift in terminology has occurred in emergency preparedness, and the concept of community resilience has become ubiquitous. Although enhancing community resilience is broader than preparedness, and emphasizes a distinct set of activities and participants, the terms are often used interchangeably. The implications of this shift have not been fully explored. This commentary describes the potential promise and pitfalls of the concept of community resilience and recommends strategies to overcome its limitations. We believe that resilience has the power to dramatically change this field in immense, positive ways, but some important challenges such as confusion about definitions and lack of accountability must first be overcome. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;7:603-606)

Communicating Public Health Preparedness Information to Pregnant and Postpartum Women: An Assessment of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web Pages

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-137
Author(s):  
Brianna McDonough ◽  
Elizabeth Felter ◽  
Amia Downes ◽  
Jeanette Trauth
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Postpartum Women ◽  
Web Pages ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Public Health Preparedness ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Centers For Disease Control

AbstractPregnant and postpartum women have special needs during public health emergencies but often have inadequate levels of disaster preparedness. Thus, improving maternal emergency preparedness is a public health priority. More research is needed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to how preparedness information is communicated to these women. A sample of web pages from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intended to address the preparedness needs of pregnant and postpartum populations was examined for suitability for this audience. Five of the 7 web pages examined were considered adequate. One web page was considered not suitable and one the raters split between not suitable and adequate. None of the resources examined were considered superior. If these resources are considered some of the best available to pregnant and postpartum women, more work is needed to improve the suitability of educational resources, especially for audiences with low literacy and low incomes. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:134-137)

Developing National Standards for Public Health Emergency Preparedness With a Limited Evidence Base

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 285-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Nelson ◽  
Ed Chan ◽  
Anita Chandra ◽  
Paul Sorensen ◽  
Henry H. Willis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Panel Discussion ◽  
Performance Standards ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Public Health Preparedness ◽  
National Performance ◽  
Local Flexibility ◽  
Public Health Emergency Preparedness

ABSTRACTObjective: The paucity of evidence and wide variation among communities creates challenges for developing congressionally mandated national performance standards for public health preparedness. Using countermeasure dispensing as an example, we present an approach for developing standards that balances national uniformity and local flexibility, consistent with the quality of evidence available.Methods: We used multiple methods, including a survey of community practices, mathematical modeling, and expert panel discussion.Results: The article presents recommended dispensing standards, along with a general framework that can be used to analyze tradeoffs involved in developing other preparedness standards.Conclusions: Standards can be developed using existing evidence, but would be helped immensely by a stronger evidence base.(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2010;4:285-290)

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