Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) Residents Have a False Sense of Security That Could Jeopardize Their Safety in a Disaster |
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| Authors: | Marita Kloseck Gloria M Gutman Maggie Gibson Lizebeth Cox |
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| Institution: | 1. Western University, Ontario, Canadamkloseck@uwo.ca;3. Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada;4. St. Joseph's Health Care, London, Ontario, Canada;5. Western University, Ontario, Canada |
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| Abstract: | High-rise apartments bring unique challenges in emergency situations. To better understand the needs of apartment-dwelling seniors in emergency situations and potential sources of support available, a novel collaborative community development approach was used with seniors living in a naturally occurring retirement community (NORC) in London, Ontario, Canada (N = 2500; mean ± SD age = 79 ± 9.53 years). A surprising finding was a false sense of security, with seniors expecting that management would take care of all needs. This finding reinforces the critical need for better public messaging for seniors, as well as targeted emergency management plans for frailer older individuals living in the community. |
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| Keywords: | naturally occurring retirement community (NORC) apartment complex high-rise emergency preparedness |
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