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A special issue of the Journal of Applied Gerontology brings together 12 studies on how disasters affect older adults before, during and after emergencies. The research identifies challenges including disrupted health care, chronic illness and loss of caregiving support, alongside protective factors such as reliable information and strong caregiving relationships.
A new special issue of the Journal of Applied Gerontology brings together 12 studies examining how disasters affect older adults across the United States, Puerto Rico and China. The research finds that risk can build before an emergency, as chronic illness, mobility limits, care disruptions and weak social support interact, and can persist during recovery.
The issue, titled Complex Emergencies and the Effect on Older Populations, covers hazards including hurricanes, floods, wildfires, extreme heat and air pollution. Its studies look at older people aging at home as well as residents of assisted living communities and nursing homes. The report describes how repeated or overlapping emergencies can compound existing challenges, especially when communities are still recovering from earlier events.
One finding is that experience with previous emergencies does not necessarily mean a person has a workable plan to maintain care during the next one. Older adults managing chronic conditions may still face difficulty obtaining medications, keeping medical equipment operating or staying in contact with health care providers. The research also reports that disasters can disrupt essential health services beyond the areas most directly hit.
The studies identify possible sources of protection, including resilience, self-efficacy, supportive caregiving relationships and reliable information. The issue’s editors and authors call for disaster planning to be built into routine clinical care, for stronger preparedness and staffing in long-term care facilities, and for community programs suited to older adults’ differing circumstances, particularly in rural areas.
Planning Beyond Evacuation
The findings frame disaster readiness as a matter of continuity of care and social support, not only evacuation or immediate physical safety. When a crisis interrupts medication access, medical equipment, regular care or contact with family and providers, the effects can continue after the hazard has passed. That makes preparedness relevant to health systems, care facilities, emergency planners and households well before a storm, fire or heat wave arrives.
The research also points to emotional and psychological consequences. Disruptions to familiar routines, relationships and caregiving networks may affect older adults during recovery, according to the editors. Planning that includes mental health, caregiver support and trauma-informed care could help address needs that physical safety measures alone may not cover. The special issue describes areas for action; the supplied report does not establish that any single intervention will prevent harm.
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Twelve Studies Across Care Settings
The special issue combines 12 studies from three regions and examines older adults in different living and care arrangements. Its subject is the interaction of hazards with existing health and social conditions, rather than one disaster type or one facility model. The report also notes that some studies consider effects linked to childhood adversity and the accumulation of losses following hurricanes.
Editors Lindsay Peterson of the University of South Florida School of Aging Studies, Lisa M. Brown of Palo Alto University and David M. Dosa of UMass Chan Medical School describe research as a resource for improving preparedness and response. The Medical Xpress report, published October 2, 2026, summarizes the special issue but does not provide individual study methods, sample sizes or detailed results for each paper.
“Motivation alone is not enough.”
— Lindsay Peterson, special issue editor and faculty member at the University of South Florida School of Aging Studies
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Limits of the Reported Findings
The Medical Xpress summary does not give the methods, sample sizes or effect estimates for the 12 studies, so readers cannot use it alone to compare the size of risks across hazards, places or care settings. It also does not specify which preparedness measures have been tested or quantify how much they change outcomes. The findings identify recurring challenges and protective factors, but the summary does not establish a single solution that applies to every older adult or facility.
It is also unclear from the report how the studies’ findings translate into particular policies, budgets or implementation timelines. The circumstances of an older adult living independently may differ from those of a nursing home resident, and the report stresses that planning should reflect those differences.
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Turning Findings Into Preparedness
The special issue’s authors call for disaster planning in routine clinical care, stronger staffing and preparedness capacity in assisted living and nursing homes, and regulations tailored to facilities’ differing risks. They also recommend expanding community-based programs, especially in rural areas. These are recommendations described in the report, not announced deadlines or newly enacted requirements.
Further detail on the individual studies would help health providers, emergency managers, facilities and families judge how to apply the findings locally. For now, the report’s central message is that readiness depends on dependable care and information before an emergency, as well as support for health and relationships during recovery.
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Key Questions
What is the new development?
The Journal of Applied Gerontology has published a special issue containing 12 studies on disasters and older populations, spanning the United States, Puerto Rico and China.
Which disaster risks does the research cover?
The studies examine hazards including hurricanes, floods, wildfires, extreme heat and air pollution, as well as how emergencies may overlap or occur before recovery from earlier events is complete.
Why can disaster planning be difficult for older adults?
The report describes interacting challenges such as chronic illness, limited mobility, disrupted health services and reduced social support. Even people accustomed to managing health conditions may lack plans for medication, equipment or provider access during a disaster.
What forms of support did the report identify?
The studies point to reliable information, caregiving relationships, resilience and self-efficacy as protective factors. The editors also call for planning that includes mental health and caregiver support.
Do the findings establish one solution for all older adults?
No. The report calls for approaches suited to different people and care settings, and its summary does not provide detailed study methods or evidence that one intervention works in every circumstance.
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