Experiences and Needs of Older Adults Following Hurricane Ike: A Pilot Study of Long-Term Consequences.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored the experiences and needs of older adults during and following Hurricane Ike.

METHOD: Two focus group interviews were conducted among older adults who lived in or around Galveston Island before Hurricane Ike. Nine older adults (six women and three men) participated in two focus group sessions. These qualitative interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic content analyses.

RESULTS: The findings of this study reveal the need for continuity in health care services, medications, psychological support, social and family support, community-level services, and information among older adults.

CONCLUSIONS: The contribution of factors such as health care continuity and psychological support reinforces the importance of specific postdisaster resources to meet the needs of older adults following hurricanes. These results suggest the importance of designing hurricane preparedness guidelines specifically for older adults.