護理及養護機構水災及火災應變之研究

根據內政部社會司2011年11月統計資料顯示，1993年9月底臺灣65歲以上的老年人口已達1,485,200人，佔當時總人口數的7.09％，已達到聯合國世界衛生組織訂定的高齡化社會指標，2011年11月底，65歲以上的老年人口已增加到2,523,533人，佔當時總人口數的10.87％，並推估至2030年老年人口將達總人口數的25％左右，表示每4個人就有一位是超過65歲以上的長者，顯見社會將邁入一個高齡社會，對於老年人口可能帶來的種種問題勢必一一浮現，當然包括老人福利機構的安全問題。老人福利機構為社會變遷下的產物，因雙薪家庭的增加、依親習慣的改變等因素，老人福利機構有逐年增加的趨勢；對於機構內的收容人雖然可自理生活，但在避難族群的分類上仍屬於避難弱勢人員，他們可能有視障、聽障、智障、肢障或多重障礙，導致對災害警報訊息的接收較遲緩，當收災害訊息後還需要一段時間進行避難準備動作，等到要開始避難時不僅避難速度緩慢，還可能需要使用行走輔助工具，例如助行器、拐杖或輪椅等器材，更增添垂直方向避難逃生的困難度。宥於全球暖化使得水災發生頻率增加，火災亦為老人福利機構常見的災害，本研究將探討老人福利機構面對水災及火災時應有的應變作為與聯繫方式，如何結合外援的力量降低災害帶來的衝擊，以作為日後老人福利機構訂定應變計劃的參考，或當作政府單位防災政策研擬的方向。

關鍵字

護理機構；養護機構；水災；火災

並列摘要

According to the Department of Social Affairs, Ministry of the Interior, in November 2011 the statistic indicates that by the end of September 1993, the population of elderly people, over the age of 65, reached 1,485,200 which made up 7.09% of the entire population in Taiwan. It has achieved the standard of “aging society” established by WHO. As of November 2011, the number of people 65 and older raised to 2,523,533 that accounted for 10.87% of the population. The Department of Social Affairs estimates that by 2030 the whole population will be consist of 25% elderly people, signifying that there is one person 65 and older in every four people. Therefore, issues and concerns regarding the elderly people will certainly have impact on the society, including the safety of institutional care. Institutional care has been a result from the development of the society. Owing to the increase of two-working-spouse families and the change of living style, the growth of institutional care has been expanded yearly. Although residents can look after themselves, when it comes to emergency, these people are considered a vulnerable group. Some of them might have visual impairment, hearing impairment, mental retardation, disabilities or multiple disabilities. The illness often causes the residents receive emergency alert with great delay. After receiving emergency alert, they need to consume substantial amount of time to react to the emergency because some require assisting equipments. For instance, crutch, walker and wheelchair slowing down the evacuation process. Indeed, the assisting equipments considerably enhance difficulties in vertical evacuation. Due to global warming, the frequency of flood has soared. And also fire has been a common disaster in institutional care. This research will investigate in the occurrence of flood and fire how institutional care should operate and keep contact of the residents, and how to collaborate with external aid in order to lessen the damage to the minimum. The research could be a future reference to the establishment of institutional care’s operation plan or to the government’s disaster prevention plan.