| Popis: |
In this chapter, we explore the vulnerability and resilience of older adults during the 2011 and 2013 floods in Brisbane, Australia. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 10 residents evacuated from their homes, these older adults (average age, 73 years) did not see themselves as vulnerable although most relied on family, friends, and neighbors for significant emotional and practical assistance throughout the flood disasters. Reminiscing on their lifetime experience of past floods in 1955, 1974, 2011, and 2013, older residents described a very high level of resilience and personal responsibility for flood preparedness. In addition to using the disaster lifecycle approach to better understand the flood disaster experience, we apply the creative methodology of poetic inquiry to create poems (or poem-like prose) from interview transcripts. Given global population aging, this chapter highlights the importance of ensuring the unique age-specific characteristics, vulnerabilities, and strengths of this growing proportion of the population that are considered in disaster policy planning as well as the value of creative approaches to engage the wider community. |
