Hurricanes Put Older Adults Who Depend on Electric Medical Devices at Serious Risk, Study Warns

When a hurricane knocks out power, the danger for some older adults begins immediately. New research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society shows that people who rely on electricity-dependent medical equipment face substantial risks of hospitalisation and death during and after major storms.

The devices involved are ones many people depend on at home around the clock: ventilators and respirators that support breathing, powered wheelchairs and hospital beds, and home dialysis machines. When electricity fails — and especially when severe flooding cuts off roads and emergency services — a manageable health condition can turn into an emergency within hours.

Flooding makes a bad situation worse

The study examined how hurricane hazards affected hospitalisation and death among older adults using these devices, and found the risks were greatest in communities experiencing severe flooding. Floodwater can prevent patients from reaching dialysis centres or hospitals, delay ambulances, and damage the very infrastructure that shelters and clinics rely on to run backup power.

A foundation for better preparation

The researchers say their work lays the groundwork for studying how hurricanes and floods affect medically vulnerable populations more broadly, and for partnering with community organisations and local and state agencies to strengthen disaster preparedness and planning.

Practical steps that preparedness experts commonly discuss include registries that let utilities and emergency managers know where device-dependent residents live, priority power restoration for those addresses, battery backups and evacuation plans arranged before storm season rather than during it. For families, the study is a reminder to make a written plan now: know where the nearest powered shelter or hospital is, keep devices charged, and store essential supplies where floodwater cannot reach them.

Source: MedicalXpress