Social science literature that addresses catastrophic natural disasters, including hurricanes has focused on disaster planning, disaster relief, and the stressors and strains placed on individuals and communities at-large. Little attention has been given to older families, especially African American families with special care needs who typically rely on a combination of a strong kinship care network and formal resources for day-to-day support. In the case of Hurricane Katrina, evacuees are facing prolonged dislocation compounded by separation from family and property loss. This long-term crisis presents significant challenges not only to older family members who relocated to Baton Rouge but also to the families and communities that opened their doors to evacuees. For example, more than 400,000 residents from New Orleans and other Gulf areas hit by Hurricane Katrina are now calling the city of Baton Rouge home. Overnight, size of the city has doubled; yet, little attention is being given to the impact this growth is having on its permanent residents.
We integrate constructs from two theoretical frameworks - the life course perspective and the ecological model of human development - to examine the functioning of aging families in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Interviews will be conducted with 100 aging families, defined as two or more adults, 60 years of age or older, grandparents parenting grandchildren, or elderly persons being cared for by their adult children or other family members, who have been displaced as a result of Hurricane Katrina and 100 aging families who are long-term residents of Baton Rouge coping with the overnight transformation of their community. In addition, 100 displaced families will be invited to continue participation in the study for one-month beyond the initial interview. Those who agree will be given a notebook and disposable camera to provide a brief account of events and decisions as they establish a sense of normalcy to their lives. The camera, a basic art form, will allow persons who are regularly exposed to the arts to capture their experiences using a familiar medium. Telephone interviews will be conducted with participants who return the notebook and camera to clarify any of the written information, and obtain the "story" behind selected pictures. The combined forms of data - the written word, photos, and confirmatory interviews - will provide further insights about their experiences as they work through changes in their lives.
We anticipate that personal resources (e.g., education, income, health, self perceptions) and ongoing family and other informal relationships coalesce into an explanation of their overall family functioning. Study findings will advance theory and understanding of aging families' functional capacities in the aftermath of a major natural disaster and nonnormative events, especially for underrepresented groups, such as poor, African American, and Asian citizens. Findings will be widely disseminated through scientific presentations, publications, and the development of a Research Brief distributed to community leaders, service providers, and policymakers.
