In a special series on fire vulnerability, HPR reporters Ashley Mizuo and Savannah Harriman-Pote examine how various Hawaiʻi communities identify shortcomings and find solutions to their wildfire risks. This is part five:
Kūpuna make up over a fifth of the state’s population.
As a potentially vulnerable group to natural disasters, senior assisted living facilities are required to submit emergency plans to the state and do quarterly disaster drills with older residents and the employees taking care of them.
However, that's not the case for seniors living in independent subsidized housing.
“Those are not regulated and aren't required to have a disaster plan,” said AARP Hawaiʻi Director Kealiʻi Lopez.
AARP Hawaiʻi wants to connect independent properties with experts to help develop emergency plans for residents.
“We're very clear that kūpuna are the most likely to perish or be harmed when there's a disaster,” Lopez said.
That was the case for many seniors during last year's devastating Maui wildfires.
About 70% of those who died from the fires were over 60 years old.
Tina Bass lived at Hale Mahaolu Eono, a senior housing on Lahainaluna Road. It was one of the first buildings to burn down and at least seven of its residents died in the fire.
Bass said residents heard nothing from property managers about emergency plans. They were left to fend for themselves.
“I ran to my car and then as I was leaving, I found this man pounding on my window that lived there. He jumped in my car. Another two minutes he would have been dead. He was in the bushes,” Bass said.
“There was nobody there. Management was gone," she said.
Independent housing
Hale Mahaolu, which operates 11 other senior housing sites, said in a statement that in the case of an emergency, residents should seek instructions from government sources.
"As we approach one year since last year’s fires, we remember those who were lost and those whose homes were destroyed,” Hale Mahaolu wrote in a statement to HPR.
The organization emphasized that it is not an assisted living facility and residents are on their own when it comes to transportation, meals and housekeeping.
"Tenants come and go as they please, with no obligation to inform us of their whereabouts. Hale Mahaolu does not offer housekeeping, in-home aides or nursing care.”
Bass now lives in senior housing in Kona on Hawaiʻi Island. She said she feels safer because fires are not common in the area, but she's had no guidance on emergency plans.
Although Bass has adjusted to living in Kona, she misses the community she had at Hale Mahaolu before the fire.
“I talk to my friends every day, but you know it’s not the same,” she said.
Taking precautions
Catholic Charities owns two senior housing complexes on Oʻahu, does case management for those looking for affordable housing and runs one of the largest senior centers in the state.
“The case managers might invite a speaker to come talk about disaster preparedness and also provide materials to remind them about the importance of preparing, particularly because most of the senior housing projects are high rises,” said Diane Terada, administrator for the Community and Senior Services Division.
Catholic Charities also advises seniors to ensure they have batteries, extra medication, non-perishable food and water— especially during hurricane season. Seniors are also encouraged to compile supplies over time since many are on fixed incomes.
The social services organization also hosts several disaster preparedness workshops through their Lanikila Multipurpose Senior Center, including teaching seniors how to set up emergency alerts on their phones.
The free workshops are offered both in-person and virtually.
Honolulu Department Emergency Management Director Hiro Toiya said loved ones can also have a role in helping those vulnerable to disaster.
“The reality is when we have a large-scale incident, we have finite resources on the government side to be able to respond. So it's really incumbent on everybody to do as much as you can to prepare for yourself, for your own sake, but where you can look out for one another and help take care of those that might be more vulnerable in our community," he said.
Seniors can also reach out to their county’s elderly affairs division for more information and resources.
AARP also has an online disaster toolkit it developed with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
