Preparing Long-Term Care Facilities for Natural and Man-Made Disasters

描述（由申请人提供）：体弱的老年人是灾害事件中风险最高的人群之一。接受长期护理的老年人的特点，包括身体活动能力受损、认知功能下降、感官意识下降和慢性健康状况，给灾害规划带来了独特的挑战。什么时候疏散设施？居民将在哪里避难？他们将如何运输？这些都是长期护理机构所有者和经营者面临的难题。尽管JCAHO、州和联邦对灾难规划有要求，但越来越多的证据表明，长期护理机构对灾难准备不足。此外，尽管需要培训，但目前还没有一个全面的、经过验证的灾害规划方案来协助长期护理机构制定、实施和评估灾害计划。拟议研究的目的是减少长期护理的老年人与灾害有关的死亡和受伤的风险。这一目标将通过制定和评价一个全面的备灾课程来实现。该计划的受众将包括照顾老年人的大型和小型长期护理设施的所有者、经营者和灾难协调员，包括专业护理设施和辅助生活设施。在第一阶段，研究人员将召集一个多学科专家焦点小组，讨论长期护理机构在制定和实施灾害计划以及应对实际灾害事件时面临的挑战，包括从以往灾害中吸取的教训。咨询小组将编制详细的备灾课程。研究人员将召集一个由业主、运营商和设施灾难协调员组成的焦点小组来评估课程。在第二阶段，课程将是制订互动式、以电脑为基础的训练方案的基础。该计划将在全国实地测试中进行评估。模块将结合文本，图形，动画，声音和高分辨率视频，以创建一个完全互动的媒体丰富，学习者控制的环境。该计划将提供分支，使学习者能够访问与特定类型的灾难相关的信息。它将包括交互式检查表，允许学习者输入有关其设施的信息，以生成定制的灾难计划。教程的形式将引导学习者一步一步地完成计划的制定，这样关键的信息就不会被忽视。该项目还将生成定制的课程计划，供管理人员用于在职员工的灾难培训和角色扮演活动。这个提议的项目支持国家老龄研究所的使命“改善美国老年人的健康和幸福”。考虑到与灾害相关的死亡和伤害风险，这项研究对居民、设施所有者和工作人员至关重要。体弱的老年人是灾害事件中风险最高的人群之一。长期护理老年人的特点给工作人员带来了独特的灾害规划挑战。该项目将设法通过编制和分发全面和有效的备灾课程，减少与灾害有关的死亡和伤害发生率。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Frail older adults represent one of the highest risk populations in disaster events. Characteristics of older adults in long-term care, including impaired physical mobility, reduced cognitive functioning, diminished sensory awareness, and chronic health conditions, create unique disaster planning challenges. When should a facility evacuate? Where will residents take shelter? How will they be transported? These are all difficult questions that long-term care facility owners and operators face. Despite JCAHO, state and federal requirements for disaster planning, there is growing evidence that suggests long-term care facilities are ill-prepared for a disaster. In addition, despite the need for training, a comprehensive, validated disaster planning program is not currently available to assist long-term care facilities with the development, implementation, and evaluation of a disaster plan. The purpose of the proposed research is to reduce the risk of disaster-related deaths and injuries to older adults in long-term care. This goal will be accomplished through the development and evaluation of a comprehensive disaster preparedness curriculum. The audience for this program will include owners, operators, and disaster coordinators of large and small long-term care facilities who care for older adults, including skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities. During Phase I, researchers will convene a multidisciplinary focus group of experts to discuss the challenges long-term care facilities face when developing and implementing a disaster plan and responding to an actual disaster event, including lessons learned from previous disasters. The advisory group will develop a detailed disaster preparedness curriculum. Researchers will convene a focus group of owners, operators, and facility disaster coordinators to evaluate the curriculum. During Phase II, the curriculum will be the basis for the development of an interactive, computer-based training program. The program will be evaluated in a national field test. Modules will combine text, graphics, animation, sound, and high-resolution video to create a fully-interactive media-rich, learner-controlled environment. The program will provide branching to allow learners to access information related to specific types of disasters. It will include interactive checklists that allow learners to enter information about their facilities to generate a customized disaster plan. A tutorial format will guide learners step-by-step through the plan development so that critical information is not overlooked. The program will also generate customized lesson plans that administrators can use for staff in-service disaster training and role-play activities. This proposed project supports the National Institute on Aging's mission "to improve the health and well- being of older Americans." Considering the risk of disaster-related death and injury, the research is critically important to residents, facility owners, and staff. Frail older adults represent one of the highest risk populations in disaster events. Characteristics of older adults in long-term care create unique disaster planning challenges for staff. This project will seek to reduce the incidence of disaster-related deaths and injuries through the development and distribution of a comprehensive and validated disaster preparedness curriculum.