Anti-disaster Measures for Patients: What Measures Can Patients Take to Prepare for Disasters?

Abstract

The elderly are generally vulnerable and prone to suffering in the aftermath of a disaster. Moreover, older patients with chronic respiratory diseases likely experience continuous symptoms such as dyspnea or asthma attacks. Among such patients, those receiving therapy for long-term oxygen or home ventilation become the first victims of a calamity. Family members, medical staffs, and employers belong to local governments are equally requested additional task or rescue compared with those people during the disaster. However, patients have to take their own steps in order to make a decision, with or without assistance. It was reported that patients who had attended educational training offered by hospitals before the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster were better able to manage their daily activities than those who had not. This chapter describes anti-disaster measures that patients can take to prepare for calamities through joint daily practice with family members and hospital staff, based on experiences from recent earthquakes that have struck Japan.