People with Alzheimer’s and related dementias (ADRD) had higher mortality rates in United States counties that had recently experienced a hurricane disaster, a new study has found. Mortality peaked in the months following the hurricanes, revealing that the increase in deaths may have been caused by factors other than the immediate storm, researchers say.
Older adults who live with ADRD are dependent on others during disasters and therefore especially vulnerable during these events. In the current study, investigators examined Medicare claims data from fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 years or older who were affected by hurricanes Harvey (2017), Irma (2017) and Florence (2018).
They calculated monthly and annual all-cause mortality among older adults with and without ADRD, and compared annual mortality rates before and after the hurricane made landfall to estimate differences in risk. They also analyzed attributable risks, sociodemographic characteristics and number of comorbidities, among other mitigating factors.
Mortality higher after Irma, Harvey
Hurricane exposure was linked to increased mortality among the ADRD population after hurricanes Irma and Harvey when compared to mortality among beneficiaries in counties that did not experience a disaster, the researchers found. Mortality peaked three to six months after those events, although not after hurricane Florence. Mortality in the ADRD cohort ranged from 11% for Hurricane Harvey to 6% for Hurricane Irma
Hurricane Harvey had more widespread impact than Irma, and was not surprisingly associated with a higher risk for associated deaths, investigators noted. In addition, vulnerable subgroups of beneficiaries with ADRD including individuals aged 85 years and older and those who were dually eligible, were more likely to die in the hurricane’s aftermath, the researchers reported.
Although the study is not designed to attribute cause, the results suggest that an integrated approach to planning could anticipate and respond to the needs of older Americans living with ADRD during disasters, investigators concluded.
The study was published in JAMA Network Open.
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