Elders in natural disasters: Community-based health organization (CBHO) education and preparedness

BACKGROUND: The awareness of the elderly needs and assisting requirement should be added to education and preparedness disaster plans. In this study, we want to reach a comprehensive training program considering goals, objectives, time, budgeting, target group, syllabus, educational strategy, and teaching methods for CBOs interested and being served elders in disasters. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This qualitative study has been done via interviews with key informants in CBHOs and NGOs and the ministry of health agents in Iran. Besides, content analysis of the documents and instructions provided by the government to direct partnerships with NGOs was reviewed, and focus discussion group to conduct a deductive content analysis research. All data were analyzed with MAXQDA 18. RESULTS: Content analysis reached two main goals and seven objectives. The first goal refers to the fact that an educational program should direct not only subjects concerning disasters’ effects on the aging population, but also discerning elders’ different needs, giving priority to the supply of the basic needs of elders, and looking ahead the physical and mental problems of the elders. The second goal refers to relief skills that CBHOs stakeholders need to obtain for serving elders in a disaster through participating in various exercises. CONCLUSIONS: The results can guide community-based stakeholders in considering all the needs of the elderly during disasters and teaching all the syllabus of this research would reduce the adverse effects of disasters on the elderly.