Caring for Older Adults in Disasters Curriculum
Disasters can be especially trying for the elderly, who are more likely to need medical assistance, pharmaceuticals, or rely on power-dependent medical equipment. That’s why the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health has created this curriculum aimed at individuals who train health professionals to respond to disaster situations. The curriculum includes 24 lessons that address preparedness, recovery, and response for older adults. Special considerations, psychosocial impacts, ethical and legal issues, access and functional needs, and clinical considerations are covered.
Arctic Matters
Since the Arctic is barometer for the impacts of climate change, it’s sometimes difficult to keep up all the information available about the transformations that occur there. So what’s really going on in the Arctic? This website—a companion to the National Academies Arctic Matters booklet—will give you all the info you need. From topics such as sea and land ice melt, sea level rise, and weather patterns to information about fisheries, ecosystems, and tourism, you’ll be in the know thanks to varied and interactive resources.
ICLR Quick Response Grant Program
Canadians, have we got great news for you! The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction has created a Quick Response Program that will help Canadian researchers quickly enter the field to collect perishable data after a disaster. The program is similar to the Natural Hazards Center Quick Response Grant Program—but geared towards our Northern colleagues. If you’re based in Canada, you’ll want to check out their website for more information about preferred topics and evaluation criteria.
Optimizing the Nations Investment in Academic Research
This National Academies report takes a hard look at the current climate in national research funding and finds that increasing regulatory requirements are standing in the way of investigations. The report offers recommendations for relieving these burdens and strengthening the partnerships between government-funded academic research. It also calls on universities to more to demand higher standards of institutional and individual behavior.
Disaster Visualization Map
If you want to get a visual on how disasters have affected your area of the United States in the past thirty years or so, this map will be invaluable. Sorted by disaster types that include flooding, drought, fire, ice storms, hurricanes, and much more, you’ll be able to see how disasters have increased (or not) over the years and exactly how many have struck each county. Built using data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this map is a great source for wrapping your head around disaster over time and location.