ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the health needs of older people following disasters, and the typical response gaps in meeting those needs. It describes key disaster responses and implications of the health and well-being management of older people in emergencies. In disasters and emergencies, injury and environmental health risks may impact on survival and well-being. When compared with the younger population, older people might present different health needs-patterns in post-disaster contexts. Due to constraints in mobility and resources, older people are also less likely to reside in favourable temporary housing and camp settings in the emergency crowded living context. Age, pre-trauma health status, underlying medical problems and medication use, and intrinsic capacity will affect both assessment and management of injury. Inadequate water supplies, substandard sanitation, and poor hygiene practices render people more vulnerable to water- and sanitation-related illnesses such as diarrhoeal diseases, measles, cholera and malaria. Adequate food and nutrition are required for survival and maintenance of good health.
