Dataset Information

Caregiving in U.S. Gulf States During Natural Disasters and COVID-19.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To ascertain common experiences and needs of a diverse group of caregivers challenged by hurricanes/floods and COVID-19.

Methods

In-depth interviews with unpaid caregivers in U.S. Southeast/Gulf Coast states who had experienced caregiving during a natural disaster and during COVID-19.

Results

Caregivers report challenges including daily living disruption, altered social supports, complicated health management, additional disaster planning, and emotional/financial impacts. Caregivers suggested helpful resources, policy options, and preparatory tools at individual, local, and health system levels to mediate discontinuity.

Conclusions

Our data describe combined caregiver experiences of hurricanes/floods and the pandemic. Caregivers experience unique burdens related to care recipient diagnosis, location, and veteran status. Access to community supports varies as they manage the tasks required for care recipients' health and safety. Our findings indicate the need for public health reinforcement of caregiving though caregiver pre-planning and targeted support. Bolstering understanding of communities' caregiving capacity though first responder trainings and caregiver registries may enhance health and safety.

SUBMITTER: Boucher NA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9614589 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Caregiving in U.S. Gulf States During Natural Disasters and COVID-19.

Boucher Nathan A NA McKenna Kevin K Dombeck Carrie B CB Clark Amy G AG Wang Ke K Olsen Jennifer M JM Shepherd-Banigan Megan M

Gerontology & geriatric medicine 20220101

<h4>Objectives</h4>To ascertain common experiences and needs of a diverse group of caregivers challenged by hurricanes/floods and COVID-19.<h4>Methods</h4>In-depth interviews with unpaid caregivers in U.S. Southeast/Gulf Coast states who had experienced caregiving during a natural disaster and during COVID-19.<h4>Results</h4>Caregivers report challenges including daily living disruption, altered social supports, complicated health management, additional disaster planning, and emotional/financial ...[more]

PMID: 36320427

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Project description:Medicare utilization and costs for residents of the U.S. Gulf Coast, who are highly vulnerable to natural disasters, may be impacted by their disaster exposure.To estimate differences in healthcare utilization by disaster exposure, we calculated Medicare expenditures among residents of U.S. Gulf States and compared them with expenditures among residents of other regions of the U.S.Panel models were used to calculate changes in overall Medicare expenditures, inpatient expenditures, and home health expenditures for 32,819 Medicare beneficiaries. Individual demographic characteristics were included as predictors of change in expenditures.Medicare beneficiaries with National Health Interview Survey participation were identified and Part A claims were linked. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) data was used to determine counties that experienced no, some, high, and extreme hazard exposure. FEMA data was merged with Medicare claims data to create a panel dataset from 2001 to 2007.Medicare Part A claims for the years 2001 to 2007 were merged with FEMA data related to disasters in each U.S. County. Overall Medicare costs, as well as costs for inpatient and home health care for residents of states located along the U.S. Gulf Coast (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida) were compared to costs for residents of the rest of the U.S.Expenditures among residents of U.S. Gulf States decreased with increased hazard exposure. Decreases in inpatient expenditures persisted in the years following a disaster.The use of beneficiary-level data highlights the potential for natural hazards to impact health care costs. This study demonstrates the possibility that exposure to more severe disasters may limit access to health care and therefore reduce expenditures. Additional research is needed to determine if there is a substitution of services (e.g., inpatient rehabilitation for home health) in disaster-affected areas during the post-disaster period.

Dataset Information

Caregiving in U.S. Gulf States During Natural Disasters and COVID-19.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Caregiving in U.S. Gulf States During Natural Disasters and COVID-19.

Similar Datasets

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