ETechnology: Screening CommunityBased Seniors for Emergency Preparedness

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E-Technology Screening Community-Based Seniors
for Emergency Preparedness

• Sonia Alemagno, PhD
• Sheila A. Niles, MSN, RN, CS

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Ready Seniors- PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

• Review Current Literature
• Key factors that place vulnerable seniors at high
  risk during emergencies
• Essential elements for developing an on line
  screening assessment for seniors
• Discuss program service delivery to community
  based seniors
• Pilot program outcomes
• Demonstrate the on line screening program
• Challenges and opportunities in the collaborative
  model
• Summarize the programs funding stream and
  program replication

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Ready Seniors NEED

• Problem Seniors are not ready for emergencies!
• Terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001
• Natural disasters like Hurricanes Katrina and
  Rita (floods, extreme heat/ cold, tornadoes,
  thunderstorms)
• Technology hazards (power outages, chemical
  spills, explosions)
• Emerging pandemics(Avian Flu)

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Ready Seniors NEED

• Only 3 out of 10 Americans are prepared for an
  emergency (US Dept of Homeland Security)
• Only 25 of Cities are prepared (US Dept of
  Homeland Security)
• No standardized focus on personal, family
  planning
• Cuyahoga County 270,000 seniors
• 20 of this population requires specialized
  emergency services with crisis

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Ready Seniors NEED

• Emergency preparedness plans are fragmented by
  agency, community, state no standardization
• Seniors can be overwhelmed with information no
  specific guidelines
• Personal assistance to seniors for emergency
  preparation will save lives and assist federal
  state and local authorities in responding to the
  disaster

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Ready Seniors PILOT OBJECTIVES

• Develop an interactive computer based program
• Screen seniors using the computer based
  assessment tool
• Telephone follow-up survey to determine whether
  the seniors implemented the recommendations from
  the assessment

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Ready Seniors PROGRAM DESIGN

• Framed within
• Health Belief Model
• Healthy People 2010
• Age specific health domains
• Emergency Preparedness (FEMA)

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Ready Seniors PROGRAM DESIGN

• Application of the Healthy Town software
  technology
• Provides an individualized checklist for the
  senior for their emergency preparation
• Talking computer model provides a self
  administered assessment/ screening
• Ready Seniors Checklist guides seniors to develop
  an action plan based on their needs
• The Ready Seniors screening pinpoints major
  factors that impact seniors during an emergency
  and guides seniors to develop their own
  individualized plan

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Ready Seniors PROGRAM DESIGN

• Screening questions
• Keeping in touch with family, neighbors, and
  others during an emergency
• Arrange for someone to check on them
• Plan and practice escape routes
• Plan for evacuation transportation
• Sheltering in place
• Plan to signal for help
• Get 3-day emergency supplies (food and
  medications)
• Get general disaster supplies

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Ready Seniors TECHNOLOGY

• Software program displays a personalized Ready
  Seniors Checklist which guides seniors to develop
  their own individualized plan
• What to Do
• What to Get
• What to Know
• Highly accepted by seniors during pilot testing

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Ready Seniors DEMONSTRATION
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Ready Seniors PERSONAL PREVENTION CHECKLIST
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. . . it was very interesting. I took it very
seriously and made it a point to do all of the
points on my list. I feel much more prepared and
safe. It's also empowering to have all of this in
place-I am alone, so I have to do the best I can
for myself . . .
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Ready Seniors PILOT TESTING
It was very well put together. I had never
thought about many of these things until I did
this program. I don't work on computers so that
made me nervous, but it was good, easy and
interesting
. . . it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be,
I still hate computers, but it makes sense to
have it this way because many people can do it at
one time. . .
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Ready Seniors PILOT TESTING

• Seniors at Northeast Ohio senior centers
• Two-month telephone follow up survey to determine
  which recommendations were followed
• Risk Factor Profile and Behavioral Change Summary
  in response to check list recommendations

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Ready Seniors PARTICIPANTS

• 162 Seniors from 7 Senior Centers
• Demographics
• Gender
• Males 25
• Females 75
• Race
• Caucasian 76
• African Americans 22
• Other 2.4
• Age Range
• Under 65 10
• 66 to 70 11
• 71 to 75 18
• 76 to 80 27
• Over 81 35

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Ready Seniors PILOT RESULTS
Top 10 Risk Factors for Unpreparedness during an
Emergency
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Ready Seniors PILOT RESULTS

• 2,004 Recommendations were generated

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Ready Seniors PILOT RESULTS

• 2-month telephone follow up with 151 participants
  (93) to determine if recommendations were
  followed
• Over 50 of Seniors performed at least 4
  recommendations
• 90 performed at least 1 recommendation
• 83 performed at least 2 recommendations
• 58 performed at least 4 recommendations
• 45 performed at least 5 recommendations
• 32 performed at least 6 recommendations

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Ready Seniors RESULTS SUMMARY

• Community based seniors have complicated health
  risks including medication issues, fall risk and
  nutritional issues that make them an especially
  vulnerable population during an emergency
  situation.
• Study data show that nearly all seniors followed
  at least one recommendation
• Seniors are willing to take an active role to
  prepare for an emergency.

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Ready Seniors PROGRAM PARTNERS

• Collaborating Partners on this project include
• Visiting Nurse Association HealthCare Partners of
  Ohio
• University of Akron
• Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging
• City of Cleveland
• Cleveland Public Libraries
• American Red Cross

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Ready Seniors PROGRAM FUNDERS

• Local Funders
• The Bruening Foundation
• The Cleveland Foundation
• Dominion Foundation
• Anthem Foundation
• Statewide Expansion
• State Funding for internet platform and Train
  the Trainer rollout

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Ready Seniors NEXT STEPS

• Statewide expansion where we anticipate 6,000 to
  10,000 seniors will participate via personal
  computer, senior centers, library systems, and
  The Aging Network

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Ready Seniors CONCLUSION
Seniors will take the life-saving first steps in
emergency planning.
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Ready Seniors FINAL THOUGHTS
As I've been thinking of things, I have been
putting them in a bag to keep by my door.
Flashlight, 1st aid kit, phone number list, etc.
I would have never thought about doing that
before this computer test.