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(A136) Eldery in Emergency
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 May 2011
Abstract
Elderly in emergency -
Psychosocial support is essential to prevent mental health disorders in the elders subjected to trauma in emergencies that induces to isolation as well as risks or vulnerability for them and their environment. Financial crisis, natural disasters, attacks, poverty, violence and loneliness in the social environment turn threatening for them. Reality becomes hard and produces disorganization in mental health.
Elder people who have gone through one or more of the following situations are the ones who are prone to develop intense or immediate character disorder. With strategies that increase the existing psychosocial protection factors stress at different intervention levels is lowered. Those who have gone through one or more violent experiences are the ones who are prone to develop intense or immediate character disorder. Cultural transferring (between adults and between adults and children) and mutual help between adults and children is held.
Cognitive processing factors associated to each individual's anxiety: stress, depression, loneliness, panic attacks etc. Some techniques have been developed to understand emotions and learn how to manage them: songs, classic tales, puppets, advertisements and anagrams, Kessen cards, etc. All the material and the results were evaluated with clinic tests and professional help.
Additionally, a good cultural understanding of the situation and the adult's feelings are needed in order to provide assistance. The one providing help as well as the one receiving bio-psychosocial help are both part of the link created to overcome the impact of violence, committed to build bridges in the adversity. To prevent post-traumatic stress they are trained in facing disturbing anxiety when facing catastrophes produced by nature or men.
- Type
- Abstracts of Scientific and Invited Papers 17th World Congress for Disaster and Emergency Medicine
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- Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2011
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