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WEDNESDAY, Sept. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Many older adults have not taken adequate steps to prepare for emergency situations, according to a report published online Sept. 4 based on the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging.<\/p>\n
Researchers surveyed 2,256 older adults aged 50 to 80 years (76 percent response rate) about their experiences with disasters and emergency planning and preparedness for these events.<\/p>\n
According to the survey results, 22 percent of older adults had experienced an emergency or disaster in the previous year; 53 percent anticipated experiencing an emergency or disaster in the next year. Eighty-two and 72 percent of respondents who require essential medications or health supplies, respectively, reported having a seven-day supply. Twenty-five percent of the 9 percent who use essential medical equipment requiring electricity had an alternative power source. Fifty-five percent reported having a seven-day supply of food and water, while only 29 percent had a stocked emergency kit. Sixty-nine percent reported feeling very confident that they were prepared to take care of themselves and their families in the event of a power outage lasting more than a day. Twenty-four percent indicated they would have difficulty affording to stay somewhere else if necessary.<\/p>\n
“Whether it’s as straightforward as a power outage that lasts a day, or as severe as a hurricane, tornado or earthquake, preparing can make a huge difference,” Preeti Malani, M.D., the poll’s director and a professor at the University of Michigan Medical School, said in a statement. “A bit of time spent now can protect your health, and spare you worry and expense, when something like this does happen.”<\/p>\n