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Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria: Exploring the Role of Home-Based Care Programs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 February 2020

Tamar Wyte-Lake Open the ORCID record for Tamar Wyte-Lake [Opens in a new window] ,
Maria Claver ,
Rachel Johnson-Koenke ,
Darlene Davis  and
Aram Dobalian
Tamar Wyte-Lake*
Affiliation:
Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center (VEMEC), US Department of Veterans Affairs, North Hills, CA Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR
Maria Claver
Affiliation:
Gerontology Program, California State University, Long Beach, CA
Rachel Johnson-Koenke
Affiliation:
Denver-Seattle Center of Innovation, Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, US Department of Veterans Affairs
Darlene Davis
Affiliation:
Geriatrics and Extended Care, Home and Community Based Care, US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Aram Dobalian
Affiliation:
Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center (VEMEC), US Department of Veterans Affairs, North Hills, CA Division of Health Systems Management and Policy, University of Memphis School of Public Health, Memphis, TN
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to: Tamar Wyte-Lake, 16111 Plummer St. MS-152, North Hills, CA 91343 (e-mail: tamar.wyte@va.gov).
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Abstract

Objective:

The aim of this study is to determine the response of home-based primary care programs to the fall 2017 Atlantic hurricane season.

Methods:

This study examines the experiences of 9 Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) programs in their responses to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Thirty-four phone interviews with HBPC leadership and staff were conducted from April to July 2018.

Results:

The total census of impacted HBPC programs was 3118. No program reported loss of life due to these hurricanes. Early preparedness was key to an effective program response. Response included prompt tracking of the patients. In the most affected areas, respondents noted limited resources to support basic patient needs.

Conclusions:

Medically complex patients served by programs such as the VHA’s HBPC program represent a subset of the population, yet they have an outsized impact on health care resources that could be exacerbated by inadequate disaster preparedness. HBPC programs serve a unique role in supporting the “older old.” They are tasked with supporting disaster preparedness activities of patients. Understanding what is involved in actualizing their requirements shows communities how to effectively engage with these programs.

Keywords

emergency preparednesshome health agenciesolder adults
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 14 , Issue 1 , February 2020 , pp. 119 - 124
Copyright
© 2020 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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