National Institute on Ageing at Ryerson University and the Canadian Red Cross
There is a clear need to better support emergency preparedness for older Canadians, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to improve preparedness and response to disasters, Canada needs greater consideration and adoption of evidence-informed, uniform and collaborative emergency management interventions. These efforts will further require improved resources and capacity to meet the emergency/disaster needs of all older adults, regardless of the variety of circumstances and settings in which they may be living.
The report shows that disaster management for older adults can be further weakened by low levels of education and training for disasters among health care professionals; limited provision of community-based disaster training programs for older adults and their unpaid caregivers; statutes
and regulations that impose barriers to individual preparedness; and lack of a standardized approach to disaster preparedness nation-wide.
