๐ต๐ผ Imagine... Where Every Kลซpuna Is Disaster-Ready ๐ต๐ผ
๐ก Imagined Endstate:
A future where Hawaiสปi’s kลซpuna are protected, prepared, and prioritized before, during, and after disasters — supported by resilient systems, strong communities, and responsive leadership.
๐ Source:
Mizuo, A. (2025, March 27). Kลซpuna are extra vulnerable during disasters. Here's how programs hope to help. Hawaiสปi Public Radio. https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2025-03-27/kupuna-are-extra-vulnerable-during-disasters-heres-how-programs-hope-to-help
๐ฅ What’s the Big Deal:
During disasters, kลซpuna often face compounded risks — reduced mobility, chronic health conditions, isolation, and limited access to transportation or real-time information ๐ง. In the 2023 Lahaina fires, nearly 70% of those who perished were over the age of 60 — a tragic reminder of just how vulnerable our elders are when disaster strikes ๐ช️.
To change this reality, Hawaiสปi is investing in grassroots and institutional programs aimed at making kลซpuna resilience a statewide priority. The Hawaiสปi Hazards Awareness and Resilience Program (HHARP) is one such effort ๐. It educates elders and their caregivers about evacuation routes, shelter options, medication preparedness, and emergency communications.
AARP Hawaiสปi is stepping in to provide practical tools for senior housing facilities ๐ . They are developing emergency planning templates that include evacuation procedures, medication tracking, communication plans, and caregiver coordination ๐ — resources that can mean the difference between life and death.
At the policy level, legislative resolutions are calling for HI-EMA to expand outreach and emergency messaging tailored to kลซpuna needs ๐งฐ. These include culturally relevant alerts, local language translations, and backup communication methods in case of power outages.
Community leaders are doing their part ๐ค — organizing neighborhood meetings, distributing flyers, and making personal visits to ensure that no elder is overlooked. These actions build not just preparedness, but trust and intergenerational connection.
Protecting kลซpuna in a disaster is not just a logistical task — it’s a moral responsibility. Resilient systems begin with recognizing who is most at risk and designing solutions around their lived realities.
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