Tenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

In this study, we focused on assisted living facilities for the elderly that provide cooperative care and medical services. The purpose of this study was to assess the damage caused by the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake (seismic intensity 7) that occurred on September 6, 2018, the health condition of the elderly one month later, and the occupancy rate in assisted living facilities after the earthquake by questionnaire survey. This survey (distributed to 416 facilities, 101 valid responses: 24.5%) revealed that the greater the seismic intensity, the longer the occupants’ health hazards lasted. One week after the earthquake, health effects such as restlessness, insomnia, and increased blood pressure were observed. Restlessness continued from one week to one month after the earthquake. Immediately after the earthquake, there were six emergency transports, two of which were due to trauma (head bleeding due to a fall, fractured thigh), and the remaining four were due to other symptoms/diseases. The oxygen generator was unavailable due to a power outage, and the residents transported to hospitals were mainly those on home oxygen therapy. It is necessary to understand the health conditions and living environment of elderly people in assisted living facilities before and after such disasters over the long term.