Natural disaster and medication preparedness among elderly: a scoping review.

INTRODUCTION

The increasing number of older people and their vulnerability to disaster and medication preparedness as the primary elements of disaster mitigation are necessary to reduce the impact of a disaster. Nevertheless, research on natural disasters and medication preparedness in the elderly population is still lacking. This review aimed to explore natural disaster and medication preparedness among elderly.

METHODS

This review was guided by the Arksey & O'Malley methodological framework and reporting accordance to PRISMA-ScR. A scoping review was performed using the following four databases: Scopus, PubMed, Sage, and Google Scholar. Screening was conducted using the following criteria: articles written in English, open access, and published between 2020 and 2024. Articles must discuss natural disasters and medication preparedness for elderly. In the data search, we input several keywords that include "elderly," "natural disaster," "preparedness," and "medication." Snowballing was then conducted to find articles on preparedness interventions. Data extraction and analysis were then performed.

RESULTS

There were 20 articles used in this review and the results highlight that elderly face unique challenges in disaster preparedness including, mobility limitation, restricted access to medication, communication barriers, limited social and social support. Tailored interventions such as disaster education and elderly-focused technology are crucial to improve preparedness and ensure their safety during emergencies.

CONCLUSION

The findings from this literature review are the majority of studies showing that most elderly people are not well prepared in facing disasters; however, through various programs that have been implemented by either the government or community, the elderly show more preparation when they encounter any natural disaster.