Oldest residents’ safety more vulnerable during disasters

FILE - In this Sept. 16, 2005, file photo, a wheelchair with a slipper still on the footrest sits in the mud left behind by Hurricane Katrina at St. Rita's Nursing home, where 34 people died while waiting to be rescued from the floodwaters in St. Bernard, La. Regulations dictate nursing homes and other facilities must have preparation plans in place for hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and other natural disasters, but the realities of how older Americans cope with a storm go beyond any piece of paper. The issue burst to the forefront again Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2017, with news of several deaths at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills in Florida, where workers say Hurricane Irene caused the air conditioning to fail, and they struggled to keep residents cool with fans, cold towels and ice. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, File) FILE - In this Sept. 16, 2005, file photo, a wheelchair with a slipper still on the footrest sits in the mud left behind by Hurricane Katrina at St. Rita's Nursing home, where 34 people died while waiting to be rescued from the floodwaters in St. Bernard, La. Regulations dictate nursing homes and other facilities must have preparation plans in place for hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and other natural disasters, but the realities of how older Americans cope with a storm go beyond any piece of paper. The issue burst to the forefront again Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2017, with news of several deaths at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills in Florida, where workers say Hurricane Irene caused the air conditioning to fail, and they struggled to keep residents cool with fans, cold towels and ice. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, File)

By Associated Press September 14, 2017 4 min read

ATLANTA (AP) – Like clockwork, stories of suffering by the oldest residents in the line of hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and other natural disasters seem to follow. Regulations dictate nursing homes and other facilities must have preparation plans in place, but the realities of how older Americans cope with a storm go beyond any piece of paper. The issue burst to the forefront again Wednesday with news of eight deaths at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills in Florida, where workers say Hurricane Irma caused the air conditioning to fail, and they struggled to keep residents cool with fans, cold towels and ice.

A look at the issues at play in keeping the oldest safe in the line of disaster:

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RISKS RISE FOR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS

Time and again, natural disasters have claimed residents of nursing homes and other senior communities. The risks rise in a state like Florida, which has the highest proportion of people 65 and older of any state, one in five of its residents.