Did you know that natural disasters can affect seniors’ mental health? It’s true, and it’s something that should be taken seriously. But more importantly, learning how to deal with these events and what to expect can help make the recovery process smoother for everyone. In this article, we’re going to talk about some of the most common natural disasters in Rogers, AR, and how they affect seniors’ mental health.
What Is A Natural Disaster?
A natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from Earth’s natural processes, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or landslides. Natural disasters can also be caused by human activity. For example, climate change has been cited as contributing to several recent natural disasters (e.g., Hurricane Harvey).
What Are The Most Common Natural Disasters In The Area?
The most common natural disasters in Rogers, AR, are tornadoes, fires, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and droughts. These can have a significant impact on your mental health if you live in an area that is prone to them.
Other types of natural disasters can affect the mental health of seniors in Rogers. For example:
- Heat waves – these can cause heat illness or death from exposure to excessive heat and dehydration;
- Earthquakes – these can also cause injuries or deaths from falling debris; and
- Drought – drought conditions often lead to wildfires as well as water shortages for both humans and animals alike
The Impact Of Natural Disasters On Older People
When a natural disaster hits, the effects of it can be devastating to a person’s physical and mental health. A catastrophe like this may cause loss of income, possessions, and even loved ones. The disruption in daily life often leads to feeling overwhelmed, isolated, or helpless.
Aging adults are often less able to evacuate in the face of a natural disaster and may not have access to emergency services as quickly or easily as younger people. Even if they escape safely and live through the initial disaster, there are still effects that may be troubling for some aging adults: disruption to daily life, loss of possessions and loved ones, loss of income and community, and loss of security.
As people recover from this devastating event and rebuild their lives, it’s important that we also pay attention to how these events affect seniors’ mental health.
Aging adults are particularly vulnerable to stress as they age because their bodies and brains don’t respond as well as they once did; according to the Alzheimer’s Association, symptoms of dementia include “difficulty thinking clearly or concentrating” or “withdrawal from family or friends”—all things that extreme stressors like natural disasters can exacerbate. Aging adults are also more likely than younger adults (age 65+) to experience depression and anxiety disorders related directly or indirectly to traumatic events such as hurricanes or tornadoes. They may have trouble fleeing dangerous conditions quickly enough due to limited mobility; if they remain home during a disaster, they’ll face higher risks of injury or death than those who evacuate early on.
How Do Seniors Cope With This Kind Of Stress?
To get through these situations, it’s important for you, as a senior citizen in Rogers, AR, to know how you can protect yourself from harm during such events.
Luckily, there are ways that you can prepare yourself for any natural disaster. Here are some tips:
- Stock up on non-perishable food items like canned food and water bottles; this will be helpful if you’re stuck at home without power for days or even weeks at a time and need something to eat without having access to running water or cooking facilities
- Get trained in first aid; this way, if someone gets hurt during an emergency, you’ll know what steps need to be taken immediately before medical professionals arrive.
- Whether it’s a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake that threatens your area, having a plan for what to do when disaster strikes is the first step towards staying safe. Make sure that everyone in your household knows how to get out of the house in case of an emergency and have practiced this escape route at least once.
