Disaster Preparedness for Veterans With Dementia and Their Caregivers

Natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and more recently Hurricane Sandy in 2012, underscore the need for disaster preparedness in older adults impacted by or diagnosed with dementia.

Dementia is defined as an acquired impairment in 1 or more cognitive domains, including executive functions (eg, judgment, reasoning); language; complex motor skills; and the ability to recognize objects, faces, or other sensory information. Dementia must be severe enough to interfere with individuals' work, usual social activities, or relationships with others.(1)