final ppt_study on how older people are impacted by disasters
1. Study on how older people
are impacted by natural
disasters
HelpAge International – Jamaica
Disaster Risk Reduction of Vulnerable Populations
Presentation of findings
Prepared by: Tracey Edwards, Kerry-Ann Thompson (Research consultants)
2. Background to the study
´ Outcome of the HelpAge International/USAID Funded Disaster Risk
Reduction of Vulnerable Populations in Jamaica
´ Study was conducted over a two month period, August to September 2015
´ Report is sill be developed
´ Study conducted by independent consultants contracted to HAI Jamaica
for the period
Parish Portland Frequency St. Elizabeth Frequency
Communities Spring Hill
Fruitful Vale
Bangor Ridge
53 (14.2%)
69 (18.5%)
40 (10.8%)
Holland
Bigwoods
Southfield
60 (16.1%)
30 (8.1%)
120 (32.3%)
Aim of the study:
To document the experiences and perspectives of older people affected by natural disasters, in order to
understand the vulnerabilities and capacities of this age group at different stages of the disaster cycle.
Information gathered from the study will be used as an advocacy tool in promoting changes in those critical
systems that are of importance to the well-being of this group
3. Methodology
´ Random Sampling (10%) of the total population of older people, where the
sample size fell below the expected sample 100 percent of the population of
older people in the community was sampled
Data collection Expected Actual
Direct interviews with
beneficiaries
400 372
Interviews with key
informants
12 11
Focus group interviews 3 3
Analysis was carried out using Frequency distribution and Chi (☓2) for
quantitative analysis (structured questionnaire)
NVIVO was used for analysis and coding of qualitative data (key
informants and focus group interviews)
4. Sample distribution by parish
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Portland St Elizabeth Total
Sample distribution by parish
percent frequency
5. Sample distribution of study site by age
87
77
71
50
28
25
19 31
Frequency Distribution of sample by age
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85-89
90-94
95-99
>/=100
6. Findings of the Study: Ownership of
assetsGender association Frequency distribution
7. Findings of the study: Housing
Conditions
Frequency distribution -
Housing condition
Housing condition based
on home ownership
16. Findings: Access to Key services by
Community
Access to postal
services/pension
Water resource
distribution by community
17. Findings: Access to pension services
distributed by parish and community
Degree of access to health
by community
Degree of access to
pension by community
18. Findings: Vulnerability based on
exposure
Relationship between
exposure to hazard and
gender
Degree of exposure to
select hazard by location
19. Findings: Hazard with the highest
degree of threat based on readiness
Hazard with highest level of
threat by gender
Hazard with highest threat
by parish
20. Natural Hazard Impact on
Vulnerable Older People
Frequency distribution and cross tab analysis based on Chi
21. Findings: Distribution of hazard impact
by gender and geography
Hazard impact by
gender
Hazard impact by
community
22. Findings: Distribution of post disaster
economic trends
Disaster as economic driver
indicated by gender
Disaster as economic driver-
indicated by age
23. Findings: Post disaster-impact on health
Disaster impact on health
as indicated by gender
Disaster impact on health
as indicated by age
24. Findings: Post disaster impact trends on
socialization
Gender association post
disaster
Association by age post
disaster
26. Findings: Long term effects on recovery
based on impact
Gender distribution Age distribution
27. Findings: Mental wellbeing and
recovery post disaster
Disaster impact on recovery and
mental health by Gender
Disaster impact on recovery and
mental health by age
30. Summary of key findings: Health
Health findings Health findings
q 72% of older persons surveyed suffer from
some form of illness• High blood pressure,
vision, breathing and hearing problems,
arthritis, and headaches were most
frequently reported
q A high percentage of respondents from
Bangor Ridge and Spring Hill in Portland
and Big Woods and Holland in St. Elizabeth
find health services difficult to access
q Post-disaster health impacts most
frequently reported include new or
worsened physical conditions: diarrhoea,
high blood pressure, vision problems,
headaches and arthritis; and mental
conditions: feelings of depression and
anxiety, worry and hopelessness
q Health issues significantly affects
respondents’ ability to prepare for disaster
q Access to health care services decline
significantly after a disaster, with over 40%
of respondents reporting that they take
more than a month to resume
q Mobility issues are most strongly reported
amongst the 80-89 age group. •
Amongst the moderately to severely frail,
more than 75% of respondents are over 70
years of age
31. Summary of key findings: Livelihoods
Livelihood findings Livelihood findings
q 33.9% of respondents are
engaged in some form of
farming
q Farming forms the highest
source of income, and is the
only substantial “earned
livelihood”
q A higher percentage of farmers earn the lowest two income
brackets compared to non-farmers, a higher percentage of whom
earned higher than JMD 15000 per month (25.3% of non-farmers
versus 12.5% of farmers).
q 51.65% of farmers are male,
and 48.35% are female
q In Portland, farmers were the only ones to cite fire as another major
hazard, and 48% percent of those citing landslides as a major
hazard were farmers
q 23.23% of farmers live in poor
or worse housing
q The drought conditions of 2014 and 2015 have been particularly
hard on farmers. The drought conditions have brought reduced
rainfall, and water lock-offs, which has resulting the dying-off of
crops.
q . Farmers generally report
better mobility and lower
frailty than non-farmers
q Farmers generally indicate that they can move very well without
obstacles; only 7.07% of farmer reported needing assistance to get
around, compared to 17.55% of non-farmers. 12.77% of farmers
indicate that they are apparently vulnerable to severely frail,
compared to 22.98% of non-farmers
32. Summary of key findings: living alone
Findings: living alone Findings: Living alone
q 21.4% of older persons
surveyed in St. Elizabeth live
alone while 29% of persons in
Portland live alone
q Among those who live alone cited inability to prepare
on their own (30%), requiring assistance to protect
their home (17.5%), and financial need (17.5%) as
reasons for requiring assistance for preparation for
hazards.
q A higher proportion of females
than males lived within
someone else in both St.
Elizabeth and Portland,
whereas a higher proportion of
males than females lived alone
q Persons who lived with someone were less likely to
have feelings of loneliness (Table E.4) than those who
lived alone
q A higher percentage of of
persons who live alone have
reported health conditions
(Table E.2) and mobility issues
q In St. Elizabeth, more than half (50.7%) of those who
live with someone else indicated that they felt lonely
at times: In Portland, 32% of those who live with
someone and feel lonely at times is also notable
(32%).
33. Summary of Key findings: Housing Condition
Findings: housing conditions Findings: housing conditions
q Housing Condition was most frequently cited
as a vulnerability factor of older persons
amongst stakeholders interviewed (Council
for the Elderly; Health; SDC St. Elizabeth;
ODPEM; Parish Council)
q Income is a significant determinant of
housing condition in St. Elizabeth, but not
Portland
q Poor to very Poor housing is associated with
24.2% of persons surveyed living in Portland,
versus 10.4% of persons of persons surveyed in
St Elizabeth
q Southfield, St Elizabeth had by far the
highest percentage of housing stock in
good or very good condition (69.3%)
q The majority of the St Elizabeth persons living in
very poor housing were earning the less than
JMD 5000.00 per month range (63.6%)
q Bangor Ridge had the highest
percentage of Poor to Very Poor housing
(28.8%)
q St. Elizabeth has much higher percentage of
homes made of concrete (72.9%) than
Portland (46.3%)
q In Portland, 80% of older people
surveyed live in some form of exposed
area, whereas in St. Elizabeth, 63.3% of
persons lived in some form of exposed
area
34. Contributors to the study
Study
conducted by
Kerry-Ann Thompson Tracey Edwards
Quantitative
data collection
conducted by
Portland
Community volunteers
St. Elizabeth
Community volunteers
Key informants Portland
1. Parish Council
2. Parish Disaster Coordinator
(ODPEM)
3. Port Antonio Health Centre
Kingston:
4. Mona Ageing and Wellness Centre
5. National Council for Senior Citizens
6. Planning Institute of Jamaica
7. Office of Disaster Preparedness
and Emergency Management
St. Elizabeth
8. Social Development Commission (Santa
Cruz)
9. Poor Relief
Kingston:
10. Ministry of Labour and Social Security
(MLSS)
11. Ministry of Local Government and
Community Development (Board of
Supervision
Focus group
interviews
Farmers group (Fruitful Vale)
Older males (Bangor Ridge)
Older Females (Bigwoods)
