Atalay Ezgi, Gündüz Zeybekoğlu Fatma, Torpuş Kemal, Usta Galip
Department of Medical Services and Techniques, Mehmet Tanrikulu Vocational School of Health Service, Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, Bolu, 14280, Türkiye.
Department of Property Protection and Security, Boyabat Vocational School, Sinop University, Sinop, 57200, Türkiye.
BMC Geriatr. 2025 Sep 26;25(1):717. doi: 10.1186/s12877-025-06323-8.
The increase in the elderly population, the issue of flood risk management and flood preparedness stands out as an important issue that needs special attention. This study aimed to evaluate the feelings and thoughts of the elderly individuals who experienced floods in Türkiye before, during, and after the floods, and to reveal how they were affected, their vulnerability, and coping capacities. In this regard, phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. Purposive sampling techniques were used for this study. A semi-structured interview form, which was prepared by the researchers by reviewing the relevant literature and taking expert opinions, was used to collect the data. The data of the study were collected between September and October 2024. The study was carried out with 14 people based on data saturation. Within the scope of the study, three themes were created. These are (theme 1) elderly people's risk knowledge and their views on the preparation process, (theme 2) vulnerabilities and coping capacities of elderly individuals during disasters, and (theme 3) post-flood needs, social network relations, and lessons learned. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that elderly individuals were aware of local disaster hazards, but despite this, the elderly did not make individual disaster preparations. It was determined that elderly individuals do not have sufficient access to early warning messages before the flood disaster occurs. During the disaster, elderly individuals were trapped in water, exhibited risky behaviors, experienced fragility during the evacuation process, and suffered material and moral losses. In the post-disaster period, elderly individuals have some basic needs such as clean water, medicine, shelter, toilets, nutrition, clothing, and health care, and their neighbors and relatives provide support in meeting these needs. The results obtained from the study may contribute to increasing the flood response capacity for elderly individuals, a vulnerable group in disasters.
老年人口的增加使得洪水风险管理和防洪准备问题成为一个需要特别关注的重要问题。本研究旨在评估在土耳其曾经历过洪水的老年人在洪水发生前、期间和之后的感受和想法，并揭示他们受到了怎样的影响、他们的脆弱性以及应对能力。在这方面，本研究采用了定性研究方法之一的现象学设计。本研究使用了目的抽样技术。通过研究人员查阅相关文献并征求专家意见后编制的半结构化访谈表格来收集数据。本研究的数据收集于2024年9月至10月之间。基于数据饱和，对14人进行了研究。在研究范围内，创建了三个主题。这些主题分别是（主题1）老年人的风险知识及其对准备过程的看法，（主题2）老年人在灾难期间的脆弱性和应对能力，以及（主题3）洪水后的需求、社会网络关系和吸取的教训。分析结果表明，老年人了解当地的灾害危险，但尽管如此，他们并未进行个人灾害准备。研究发现，在洪水灾害发生前，老年人无法充分获取预警信息。在灾难期间，老年人被困在水中，表现出危险行为，在疏散过程中表现出脆弱性，并遭受了物质和精神损失。在灾后时期，老年人有一些基本需求，如清洁水、药品、住所、厕所、营养、衣物和医疗保健，他们的邻居和亲属在满足这些需求方面提供了支持。该研究获得的结果可能有助于提高对灾害中弱势群体——老年人的洪水应对能力。
