List of
Practice Examples and Lessons Learned
regarding older/vulnerable people in disaster
Practice Examples
Practice Examples
Alexander, D. & Sagramola, S. (2014).
Major Hazards and People with
Disabilities. Their Involvement in
Disaster Preparedness and Response.
Available at
http://www.coe.int/T/DG4/MajorHazar
ds/ressources/pub/MajorHazards_Disab
ility_2014_en.pdf
Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), The
American Medical Association (AMA),
Harris County Hospital District (HCHD) &
Care for Elders, American Association of
Retired Persons Foundation (AARP),
Dyer, C., Festa, N. A., Cloyd, B., Regev,
M., Schartzberg, J. G., James, J., Khaine,
A., Poythress, L. Vogel, M., Burnett, J.,
Seaton, E. E., Wilson, N. L., Edwards, J.,
Mitchell, S. & Dix, M. (2006).
Recommendations for Best Practices in
the Management of Elderly Disaster
Victims.
Available at
https://www.bcm.edu/pdf/bestpractice
s.pdf
HelpAge International & HelpTheAged
(2005).The impact of the Indian Ocean
tsunami on older people.
Available at
http://www.globalaging.org/elderrights
/world/2005/emerg.pdf
HelpAge International & United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) (2000). Older people in
disasters and humanitarian crisis:
Guidelines for best practice.
Available at
http://www.refworld.org/docid/4124b9
f44.html
Author(s)/Content
Tools
Authors
Alexander. D & Sagramola, S.
Content
The report gives examples of good
practice and guidelines for assisting
people with disabilities during
emergencies, crises and disasters
 Examples of good practice (p. 33-37)
 Guidelines for assisting people with
disabilities during emergencies, crises
and disasters (p. 43-50)
 Recommendation on the inclusion of
people with disabilities in disaster
preparedness and response (p. 52-53)
Authors
Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), The
American Medical Association (AMA),
Harris County Hospital District (HCHD) &
Care for Elders, American Association of
Retired Persons Foundation (AARP)
Content
Recommendations for best practice in
the Management of elderly disaster
victims with special focus on frail elders
and vulnerable adults and a description
of the Houston Experience.
 SWiFT Level tool in the post-disaster
phase (p. 10)
 SWiFT Screening tool (p. 11)
 SWiFT Policies and procedures (p. 12)
Authors
HelpAge International & HelpTheAged
Content
Information about issues for older
people in disaster response and
recovery, for example discrimination,
rights, livelihood security, social
protection
and
participation.
Furthermore,
there
are
recommendations given how this
situation can be improved.
Authors
HelpAge International& United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR)
Content
Information about key issues, needs and
recommendation guidelines to handle
these issues and needs.
 Vulnerable individual checklist (p. 22)
 Orissa cyclone relief support to older
people (p. 23)
 Post-disaster
village
needs
assessment (p. 24)
Practice Examples
Author(s)/Content
HelpAge International, Bramucci, G.
(2006). Rebuilding lives in longer-term
emergencies: Older people’s experience
in Darfur.
Available at
http://www.globalaging.org/armedconfl
ict/countryreports/africa/longerterm.pd
f
Authors
HelpAge International
Content
Information about older people in the
Darfur emergency, their needs and
recommendations for best practice
HelpAge International & HelpTheAged
We Will (2007). Older people’s
associations in community disaster risk
reduction. A resource book on good
practice. Available at
http://www.helpage.org/silo/files/older
-peoples-associations-in-communitydisaster-risk-reduction.pdf
Authors
HelpAge International & HelpTheAged
We Will
Content
Humanitarian Practice Network (HPN) at
Overseas Development Institute (ODI),
Wells, J. (2005). Protecting and assisting
older people in emergencies. Available
at
http://www.odihpn.org/documents/net
workpaper053.pdf
Authors
Humanitarian Practice Network (HPN) at
Overseas Development Institute (ODI)
Content
Information about Older People’s
Associations, age-friendly information
gathering, responses and networking.
Information about older people´s
protection assistance and
recommendations with a strong focus on
protection
Tools
 Rapid vulnerability assessment form
(p. 23)
 Health checklist for older people living
in IDP camps (p. 24)
 Health follow-up monitoring form (p.
25)
 Nutrition monitoring form (p. 26)
 Disability assessment form (first home
visit interview) (p. 27)
 Extremely vulnerable individual case
card for housebound and cases for
regular follow-up (p. 28)
 Annex 3: Roles and responsibilities of
leaders and members: an example
from Cambodia (p. 29)
 Annex 4: Meeting record format: an
example from OPAs in Rajasthan,
India (p. 30)
 Annex 5: Vulnerable individuals (in
camps) checklist (p. 31)
 Annex 6: Relief services checklist (p.
32)
 Box 3 An example of good practice:
Older People’s Committees (OPCs) in
Sudan (p. 10)
 Annex 2 Checklist for Older Persons
in Internally Displaced Persons
Camps
 Annex 3 Guiding Principles for
Nutrition Interventions for Older
People in Emergencies
Lessons Learned
Lessons learned
Authors/Content
American Association of
Retired Persons (AARP),
Gibson, M. J. & Hayunga, M.
(2006). We can do better.
Lessons Learned for Protecting
Older Persons in Disasters.
Available at
http://assets.aarp.org/rgcente
r/il/better.pdf
Author
American Association of
Retired Persons (AARP)
Content
Information about the special
risks older people face in
Disasters and lessons learned
and Promising Practices for
Protecting older people in
these situations.
Authors
Baylor College of Medicine
(BCM), The American
Medical Association (AMA),
Harris County Hospital
District (HCHD) & Care for
Elders, American Association
of Retired Persons
Foundation (AARP)
Content
Recommendations for best
practice in the Management
of elderly disaster victims
with special focus on frail
elders and vulnerable adults
and a description of the
Houston Experience.
Hurricane Katrina
Authors
Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Consumer Advocacy Network
(DHHCAN) & Northern
Virginia Resource Center for
Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Persons (NVRC)
Content
Information about accessible
and effective communication
methods for deaf people
with a special interest on the
events of 9/11 and the use of
technology, for example
television, telephone,
internet, radio and print
media.
Lessons Learned since 9/11
Baylor College of Medicine
(BCM), The American Medical
Association (AMA), Harris
County Hospital District
(HCHD) & Care for Elders,
American Association of
Retired Persons Foundation
(AARP), Dyer, C., Festa, N. A.,
Cloyd, B., Regev, M.,
Schartzberg, J. G., James, J.,
Khaine, A., Poythress, L. Vogel,
M., Burnett, J., Seaton, E. E.,
Wilson, N. L., Edwards, J.,
Mitchell, S. & Dix, M. (2006).
Recommendations for Best
Practices in the Management
of Elderly Disaster Victims.
Available at
https://www.bcm.edu/pdf/bes
tpractices.pdf
Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Consumer Advocacy Network
(DHHCAN) & Northern Virginia
Resource Center for Deaf and
Hard of Hearing Persons
(NVRC) (2004). Emergency
Preparedness and
Communication Access Lessons Learned since 9/11
and Recommendations.
Available at
https://tap.gallaudet.edu/Eme
rgency/Nov05Conference/Eme
rgencyReports/DHHCANEmerg
encyReport.pdf
from
Hurricane Katrina (p. 14-19)
Tools
Lessons learned
Authors/Content
Help Age International (2001).
New guidelines aim to support
older people in emergencies.
Available at
http://www.em.gov.au/Docum
ents/New_guidelines_aim_to_
support_older_people_in_eme
rgencies.pdf
Author
Help Age International
Content
Guidelines aimed at
supporting older people in
emergencies including basic
needs, Healthcare and
Nutrition, Psychosocial
support, Rehabilitation,
Consultation and
Participation and
Vulnerability checklists
Author
Pan American Health
Organization
Content
Information about Older
Persons in the Caribbean as
Resources in Disaster and
recommendations for action
at the National, Subnational
and Community level and in
different types of disaster
Pan American Health
Organization (2012).
Guidelines for Mainstreaming
the Needs of Older Persons in
Disaster Situations in the
Caribbean.
Available at
http://www.who.int/hac/even
ts/disaster_reduction/guide_f
or_older_persons_disasters_ca
rib.pdf
from
Tools
Case examples and research
overview
Impact of Hurricane Ivan on
the Richmond Home in
Grenada Hurricane Ivan (p.
46)
 Guidelines
for
Mainstreaming the Needs of
Older Persons into National
Health Disaster Plans (p. 4950)
 Post-disaster
Assessment
and Surveillance Forms (p.
56)
 Health assessment of adults
over 60 years old (p. 57)
 Psychological First Aid Pocket
Guide (p. 65)
 Tips for planners (p. 74)