A hurricane strikes the coastline. A tornado hits the heartland. A flood inundates a riverside city. The results can be catastrophic, especially for the thousands of older adults who call the affected community home. One way to mitigate the damage is to have a recovery plan in place before disaster strikes. Unfortunately, according to a new survey from The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:HIG), all too rarely are those preparations made sufficiently in advance. According to the survey’s results, the vast majority of Americans 50 and older say they would rely on someone else to help them recover. Yet only one quarter of those older adults have actually talked to their first line of support – family members, friends or neighbors – about what they would need to get back on their feet.
The broad lack of disaster preparation among older adults is one of the key findings in a study commissioned by The Hartford and conducted by Harris Interactive®. The study, which surveyed 1,593 U.S. adults 50 and older, revealed that 94 percent of respondents say they would rely on someone to assist them when preparing for or recovering from a natural disaster. The survey revealed, however, an enormous gap exists between those who expect help from others and those who actually talked about their expectations. In fact, according to the survey, only 26 percent report they have actually spoken to those closest to them about steps that would need to be taken if disaster strikes.
“With a broad range of perils threatening American households at different times during the year, we know that about 75 percent of households are at risk for some type of natural disaster, and older people are particularly vulnerable during emergencies and disasters,” said Cynthia Hellyar, corporate gerontologist at The Hartford, part of a team at the company that conducts research and develops education aimed at improving the safety, mobility and independence of older adults. “In some cases,” continued Hellyar, “a lack of communication about preparedness can make a life-or-death difference. The glue that holds the disaster plan together is talking with family, friends and neighbors. Having a broad support network in place before, during and after a disaster is crucial.”
Other noteworthy results from The Hartford’s survey focus on planning in four key areas – prescription medication, pet care, important documents and emergency cash. Those results showed:
- Approximately 86 percent of respondents said someone in their household relies on prescription medication. Of those, 26 percent said they don’t have at least one week’s worth of needed medication available, and 83 percent said they did not have photocopies of prescriptions as backup.
- Overall, more than half of those surveyed report having a pet. But 76 percent of those pet owners said they have not assembled a pet disaster kit that addresses their beloved companion’s needs in the event of a natural disaster.
- Some 30 percent of respondents said they do not have easy access to important documents or photocopies of those documents should they have to evacuate quickly in a natural disaster.
- More than half of those interviewed said they do not have easy access to emergency cash.
To help individuals prepare for disasters, The Hartford and the MIT AgeLab – longtime partners in efforts to improve the quality of life for older Americans – have created a booklet called “It Could Happen to Me: Family Conversations about Disaster Planning.” Prior programs from The Hartford and the MIT AgeLab have focused on the intergenerational issues related to the safety and independence of older drivers, including those affected by Alzheimer's disease. These are always difficult conversations to initiate but can help avoid many more problems down the road. The latest booklet in the series from The Hartford and the MIT AgeLab encourages readers to assess the risks they face in the places they live, inventory their belongings and talk to friends and family about what they might need if disaster strikes.
A Network is the Heart of the Disaster Plan
The 37-page booklet from The Hartford and the MIT AgeLab guides readers through the disaster planning process and includes checklists and references to help people put together their plan. At the heart of the booklet are the ABC’s – A for Action: Take It; B for Belongings: Know Them; and C for Connections: Make Them. In particular, the booklet recommends:
- Action: Take It. People should know which disasters they’re at risk for and how to best prepare for those situations. The preparedness plan should address the needs of everyone in the household – including pets – and should include the possibility of evacuation. People should set up a broad support network that includes contacts in different locations (a neighbor and a relative, for instance) in case communication lines are disrupted.
- Belongings: Know Them. People should create a home inventory of all belongings with a picture or still camera, with a written list and receipts to accompany the images. Creating a home inventory can seem like a daunting task, but it’s better to have some record of your belongings than to have nothing at all. This information should be stored away from home and be updated periodically.
- Connections: Make Them. People should talk to family members and neighbors about disasters and how to support each other. These conversations should be specific about what tasks might need to be done and who would do them. If a life-changing event such as widowhood or illness occurs, the network may need to be adjusted.
For more information and to order a free copy of the “It Could Happen to Me” booklet, visit The Hartford’s web site, www.thehartford.com/talkaboutdisasterplanning.
The Hartford is a leader on aging and business issues and a founding sponsor of the MIT AgeLab. The Hartford’s corporate gerontology group has been working with the MIT AgeLab since 1999 to produce original research that can influence the quality of life of older adults and their families. The Hartford/MIT AgeLab partnership has reached millions of people around the globe with information to help guide important decisions about safety, mobility and independence.
Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive via its QuickQuerySM online omnibus service on behalf of The Hartford between April 21-23 and April 23-25, 2008, among 1,593 U.S. adults aged 50 years and older. Results were weighted as needed for region, age within gender, education, household income and race/ethnicity. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full methodology is available upon request.
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a long and rich history in multimodal research, powered by our science and technology, we assist clients in achieving business results. Harris Interactive serves clients globally through our North American, European and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.
About The Hartford
The Hartford, a Fortune 100 company, is one of the nation's largest diversified financial services companies, with 2007 revenues of $25.9 billion. The Hartford is a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property and casualty insurance. International operations are located in Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil and Ireland. The Hartford's Internet address is www.thehartford.com.
HIG-PC
Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2007 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.
Contacts:
Joshua King,
860-547-2293
Joshua.King@thehartford.com
or
Alexis
Lemieux, 860-547-8636
Alexis.Lemieux@thehartford.com
