In the News

Senior citizens learn how to prepare for disasters

July 21, 2010

Clarion Ledger
Paul Katool

Jeneatte Bastan's hellish survival of Hurricane Katrina wasn't the end of her struggles.

Rescued by helicopter from her New Orleans home filled with seven feet of water, she was displaced in Utah and Virginia before finally landing in Jackson. The former hospital worker found herself without transportation and a job.

"There's nothing like it," said Bastan, 69, sobbing as she talked about her experience. "If you never went through it, you never know it until you suffer."

Countless stories like that prompted the Mississippi Center for Justice to hold a Disaster Preparedness Expo for Senior Citizens on Tuesday at the Jackson Medical Mall - to help senior citizens prepare for and deal with natural disasters.

"We recognized that a lot of people just weren't prepared for the hurricane," said Paheadra Robinson, who does economic justice work for the MCJ. "We saw quite a bit of people taken advantage of because they didn't know who to go to for resources."

Barrie Carpenter, a public affairs specialist with the Social Security Administration, directed a question-and-answer session that stressed having and knowing the location of a Social Security card and protecting personal identifiable information.

"We want our senior citizens to be cautious about who they give this information out to," Carpenter said.

According to Carpenter, it's common for people to not know that information or be unable to locate personal papers after a disaster, making it difficult to collect benefits in a timely manner.

Carpenter recommended direct deposit of retirement, disability, survivor and dependent benefits because she said it is the most effective way of doling out benefits during a disaster.

She also explained how to get a replacement card from the Social Security office.
Carpenter said if a beneficiary has to relocate because of a disaster, it is essential to call the local Social Security office to provide a change of address or phone number.

Pouches to store special papers were handed out at the expo.

Louis Jones, 81, of Jackson, said he plans to use the one given to him. "I can put all of my papers in one place," Jones said.

William Schreiner, a lawyer with Zuckerman Spaeder in Washington, D.C., stressed the importance of another type of document: insurance papers.

Schreiner said it is important to have all insurance documents in writing to deter insurance fraud and to keep claims from falling through.

"Read your insurance policy, ask questions and keep insurance documents in a safe place," Schreiner said. "Call your insurance agent promptly if you have a claim and make sure you have everything in writing."

Scott Sumrall, a division director of Disaster Preparedness & Response with the Department of Mental Health, said taking care of medical needs during a natural disaster is important.

"If you are receiving mental health treatment or medication, you need to be prepared to still receive those after a disaster just like you need to have water or food after a disaster," he said.

Bastan, who traveled with a group to the expo, said the event was helpful partly because of information on Social Security.

"I learned a little bit of everything," Bastan said. "The city has all these things to help you."