2018 Volume 7 Issue 3 Pages 134-142
Purpose: This study elucidates the experiences of elderly people at a refuge during the acute disaster phase that followed the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Methods: Nine elderly residents of a refuge were studied through the data obtained from semi-structured interviews, with the contents being analyzed using a qualitative inductive method.
Results: At the refuges, the elderly subjects were exposed to life crises, experiencing “huddling together to endure cold” and having “access to the minimum food and water for survival”. They described life in unsanitary environments that promoted health problems, recounting “the experience of using unfamiliar portable toilets”, “living without changing their clothes due to a lack of daily necessities”, and “having to live in unsanitary conditions”. They experienced “progression of disease together with insufficient medical care” because the medical institutions were damaged and transportation was not functioning properly. Moreover, they experienced “sympathy for and submission to a victim’s experiences, which divide life from death and illustrate the reality of human relations”. They recognized that many people supported their experience of “recognizing the strength of life and gaining an appreciation for a life involving mutual assistance”.
Discussion: The experiences pf elderly participants in refuges indicate that effective support systems require cooperation among local people, concerned individuals, and supporters from other organizations.
