Premium
Listening to and Learning from Older Adult Hurricane Katrina Survivors
Author(s) -
Langan Joanne C.,
Palmer Janice L.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
public health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.471
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1525-1446
pISSN - 0737-1209
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1446.2011.00996.x
Subject(s) - debriefing , natural disaster , active listening , grief , anger , hurricane katrina , psychology , exploratory research , public health , needs assessment , nursing , medicine , psychiatry , social psychology , geography , communication , sociology , meteorology , anthropology , social science
Objective The objective of this pilot study was to explore how H urricane K atrina affected older adult disaster survivors. Design and Sample Participants for this descriptive exploratory pilot study were recruited from churches and senior centers on the G ulf C oast of M ississippi. Of the 224 participants, one hundred provided additional comments at the end of a forced‐response questionnaire. Measures Manifest content analysis was used to examine the participants’ comments by identifying, coding, and categorizing their responses to the open‐ended question. The codes were based on conditions and behaviors that might be exhibited by disaster victims. Results Themed categories were losses and needs, giving advice, justification for continuing to live in this disaster‐prone region, deterrents and facilitators of home evacuation, spirituality and faith, manageability, bereavement, grief, anger, and natural debriefing. Conclusion The strongest message of these survivors was the need to be heard by public health nurses, other public health officials preparing for disasters, and those in positions to render aid.