Abstract
The elderly are at increased risk for poor outcomes both during and following disasters. Some of this excess morbidity and mortality can be avoided by public health planning that takes into consideration the unique needs of our aging population. However the scope of some disasters may be such that, demand for resources exceeds supplies. When this happens, resources must be allocated in a legal and ethical way to do the greatest good for the greatest number. Triage policies should be specific, transparent, objective, and explicit. Triage should only be invoked as a last resort when all possible avenues of resource procurement have been exhausted. Prior health status, prognosis, and age may be considered when making triage decisions. To avoid secondary illness or injury, frail individuals who do not require emergency care should be triaged to safe areas where they can receive psychosocial and medical support services until they can be reunited with their families.
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Yandle, G.M., deBoisblanc, B.P. (2014). Triaging Acute Care Patients During a Disaster. In: Cefalu, C. (eds) Disaster Preparedness for Seniors. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0665-9_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0665-9_2
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