By Michaela Ramm
[...]
In 2013, University of Iowa College of Public Health Associate Professor Sato Ashida began an effort to understand how well-prepared elderly Iowans are in case of a natural disaster.
[...]
Ashida started developing a project called PrepWise, an informational guide designed to help individuals through planning the next steps after an emergency, which she said gives participants a much better opportunity to cope with and recover from a natural disaster.
Steps include identifying three people to overcome a scenario, such as a person to help with shelter or transportation.
It also asks participants to list any health care issues first responders should be aware of, and to provide contact information of their health care provider.
[...]
[State agency] officials believe if emergency management agencies had certain information about older Iowans, disaster response and recovery could be vastly improved for these individuals. However, there are barriers.
[...]