Benefits and Drawbacks of Using Hotels as Shelters After a Landslide. (10th October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tada, Shinya; Jitsuiki, Kei; Ohsaka, Hiromichi; Yanagawa, Youichi
• Is Part Of: Disaster medicine and public health preparedness. Volume 16:Number 5(2022)
• Page Start: 1851
• Page End: 1854
• Publication Date: 2022-10-10
• Subjects: landslide -- Atami -- hotel -- shelter -- vulnerability of older people; Disaster medicine -- Periodicals; Emergency management -- Planning -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 363.34
• DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2021.335
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1935-7893

Abstract

Abstract: Objectives: On July 3, 2021, a landslide occurred in part of Atami City, Shizuoka, Japan. Methods: The government of Shizuoka Prefecture requested the dispatch of Shizuoka Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (S-DMATs). Results: On day 2, the evacuees were evacuated into 2 hotels (A and B). Hotel A accommodated over 570 independent and dependent evacuees. Hotel B accommodated 44 dependent aged individuals, who lived in the same long-term health-care facility, together with their 11 caregivers. The evacuees in hotel B returned to the previous facility on day 10 without any specific medical problems. The evacuees in hotel A were managed in the guest rooms as family units. Individuals requiring care in guest rooms in hotel A became isolated because they could not call for help or walk. Furthermore, hotel guest rooms were not barrier-free. The S-DMATs supported the evacuees. Conclusions: Independent evacuees received the maximum benefits from the use of a hotel as a shelter. In contrast, it was difficult for dependent evacuees to benefit from the hotel as it is as a shelter when living alone in the hotel. Dependent evacuees required appropriate support to eat, walk, use the toilet, and keep themselves clean when using a hotel as a shelter.