Item 2: Emergency Management Slide Deck — original pdf
Backup
Preparedness for Older Adults Planning, Outreach, Coordination, & Response Austin Public Health | May 13, 2026 Outline ▪ Preparedness for Older Adults ▪ Community Outreach & Education ▪ Emergency Registry Workgroup ▪ Access to Services ▪ Partnerships ▪ Questions 2 Vulnerability Factors Age: Older adults (65+) and young children are more vulnerable. Health Conditions: Chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory issues reduce heat tolerance. Housing & Environment: Unsafe, unstable, or inaccessible housing; increase risk during emergencies. Economic Status: Limited financial resources restricting access to health care, medications, transportation, and more. Social Isolation: Living alone or lacking reliable social and caregiving networks can delay recognition of needs. Language Barriers: Limited English proficiency can hinder access to critical information. 3 Outreach & Community Education Outreach Trusted Community Spaces & Popup Events Preparedness Kits and Emergency Planning Education Connection Alerts & Vulnerable Registries (WCT, STEAR, AE MVR) 4 Heat Preparedness Outreach • Keep Austin Cool Day held on May 2, 2025 • Conley-Guerrero Senior Activity Center • Intentional focus on older adults at higher risk for heat-related illness • Shared heat safety information, cooling resources, and preparedness materials • Goal: continue building targeted outreach partnerships with senior-serving organizations 5 Cooling Center Assessment (2026) The survey will assess: · Awareness of center locations and services · Past utilization during extreme heat events · Factors influencing whether community members choose to use centers · Barriers to access · Suggestions for improvement 6 Emergency Preparedness Planning Data Sets in Austin/Travis County Austin Energy Medically Vulnerable Registry State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry HHS emPOWER Program 7 Emergency Registry Workgroup ESTABLISHED BY APH IN 2025 STRENGTHENS COORDINATION FOR MEDICALLY FRAGILE AND HIGH-RISK RESIDENTS INCLUDES CITY DEPARTMENTS, TRAVIS COUNTY, AND PARTNER AGENCIES FOCUS AREAS INCLUDE CLARIFYING ROLES, IDENTIFYING GAPS, AND ALIGNING RESOURCES IMPROVES PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE COORDINATION FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS 8 Reaching Community Who Cannot Access Services ▪ APH developed public health strike teams to support vulnerable residents during emergencies ▪ Support for homebound individuals, older adults, and medically vulnerable residents ▪ Teams can help bridge gaps when residents cannot access resource centers ▪ Teams are primarily composed of Community Health Workers and outreach-focused staff 9 Austin Resilience Network (ARN) ▪ Goal: Bolster community resilience before, during, & after disasters ▪ Partnership Agreement: formalized commitment to collaboration ▪ ARN Workgroup: expertise & representation in the planning process 10 11 Additional Resources ▪ Austin Energy Medically Vulnerable Registry: medicallyvulnerableregistry.com ▪ Warn Central Texas: Warncentraltexas.org ▪ Eligibility ▪ Life support ▪ Critical illness ▪ Serious Illness 12 Looking Ahead Continue expanding focused outreach to older adults Strengthen emergency registry coordination Improve communication pathways during emergencies Grow partnerships with trusted community organizations Support community resilience before disasters occur 13 Thank you Ana Urueta, MPH Emergency Manager Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program Austin Public Health