Unfolding the Experiences and Preparedness Mechanism of Senior Citizens in the Wake of Disaster: Towards a Disaster Resilient Community

Abstract

The physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of every individual is negatively affected by disasters. In particular, the aged people, or “Senior Citizens” are susceptible to the disproportionate and detrimental effects brought upon by any form of disaster. Thus, this study explored the lived experiences of senior citizens in any disaster and their corresponding preparatory mechanisms. Using a qualitative-phenomenological research design, this study interviewed eleven (11) participants to generate their experiences and preparatory mechanism in the wake of disaster. The use of Collaizi’s method was used in the analysis of the qualitative data. Analysis of data revealed two emergent themes: (1) Disaster-related challenges and (2) life security that describe the experiences of the participants. In addition, the results have shown that senior citizens experience difficulty in combating disasters due to a range of disaster-related challenges they encounter. On the other hand, their most common preparatory mechanism in order to combat the challenges primarily relates to safety measures. Thus, disaster preparations need to be strengthened and ensure that the needs of senior citizens are taken into account in local disaster planning and community response efforts.