KFF surveys Katrina survivors/evacuees.
Survey of Hurricane Katrina Evacuees
To give voice to people whose lives have been devastated by Hurricane Katrina
and the ensuing floods, /The Washington Post/, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and
the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a unique survey of evacuees in
shelters in the Houston area. More than 1 in 10 (14%) Hurricane Katrina evacuees
report a family member, neighbor or friend was killed by the storm or subsequent
flooding and more than half report that their home was destroyed (55%) and that
they are separated from or missing members of their immediate family (53%). The
survey also found that evacuees in Houston shelters face serious health
challenges that will complicate relief and recovery efforts.
Key health-related findings include:
* 52% report having no health insurance coverage at the time of the
hurricane. Of those with coverage, 34% say it is through Medicaid and 16%
through Medicare. Before the hurricane 66% of the people evacuated to
Houston shelters used hospitals or clinics as their main source of care
and of those, a majority (54%) used Charity Hospital of New Orleans,
substantially more than the second most common care site (University
Hospital of New Orleans, at 8%).
* 33% report experiencing health problems or injuries as a result of the
hurricane and 78% of them are currently receiving care for their ailments.
* 41% report chronic health conditions such as heart disease, hypertension,
diabetes and asthma.
* 43% say they are supposed to be taking prescription medications, and of
those, 29% percent report having problems getting the prescription drugs
they need.
* Of the 61% who did not evacuate before the storm, 38% said they were
either physically unable to leave or had to care for someone who was
physically unable to leave.
Among those surveyed, 98% are from the New Orleans area and about three-quarters
of those (73%) have lived there their whole lives. In surviving this tragedy, an
overwhelming majority of the evacuees in Houston shelters (92%) say that
religion played an important role in helping them get through the past two weeks.
Ed: This information should give us pause as we think about our burgeoning elderly population and its needs in the next 50 years.