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Ageing in remote and cyclone-prone communities: geography, policy, and disaster relief
Citation
Astill, S, Ageing in remote and cyclone-prone communities: geography, policy, and disaster relief, Geographical Research, 55, (4) pp. 456-468. ISSN 1745-5863 (2017) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
© 2017 Institute of Australian Geographers
DOI: doi:10.1111/1745-5871.12228
Abstract
Focussing on the experience of independent-living older adults, this study explored
how those in regional Australian coastal communities have coped with repeated natural
disasters. Using an exploratory, mixed-method, and phenomenological approach,
an array of non-probability snowballing techniques was used to seek
participation from residents aged 65 years or more, and from emergency services officers,
disaster managers, and community health care providers located in regional
communities affected by Cyclone Larry (2006) and Cyclone Yasi (2011). The research
found that post-disaster political decisions have had a negative long-term impact
on local economies, causing outmigration by those seeking employment, and
resulting in many elderly residents facing a future without family support. As government
policies encourage ageing-in-place by providing subsidised in situ care, increasingly
older adults are remaining in exposed vulnerable locations, reliant on
authorities for their survival both day-to-day and during an emergency. Findings also
uncovered inconsistent disaster management policies between neighbouring local
government councils and an unrealistic reliance on in situ care organisations by disaster
managers during preparation and recovery stages of a natural hazard. These
results highlight the need for those charged with emergency management to reassess
both the future natural hazard adaptive capacities of ageing regional communities
and policy responses to such challenges.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | ageing population, disaster relief, economic recovery, in-situ care, cyclone |
Research Division: | Human Society |
Research Group: | Human geography |
Research Field: | Human geography not elsewhere classified |
Objective Division: | Expanding Knowledge |
Objective Group: | Expanding knowledge |
Objective Field: | Expanding knowledge in human society |
UTAS Author: | Astill, S (Dr Sandra Astill) |
ID Code: | 123168 |
Year Published: | 2017 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 7 |
Deposited By: | Office of the School of Social Sciences |
Deposited On: | 2017-12-19 |
Last Modified: | 2018-07-17 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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