“What doesn’t kill us” – the experience of older adults evacuated during the 2011 and 2013 Brisbane floods. Lauren Brockie Bachelor of Behavioural Science Griffith University (2005) Post Graduate Diploma of Psychology Queensland University of Technology (2006) Masters of Sport and Exercise Psychology University of Queensland (2008) Masters of Clinical Psychology Charles Sturt University (2013) School of Design Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering Queensland University of Technology Brisbane Australia Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of Doctor of Philosophy from the Queensland University of Technology 2016 i Keywords Older adults, natural disaster, disaster lifecycle, severe weather event, qualitative, constructivist grounded theory, narrative inquiry, poetic inquiry, resilience, social support, social capital, vulnerability i Abstract This dissertation reports on the findings of a study which sought to explore the individual experiences of older adults who experienced the 2011 and 2013 Brisbane floods. In contrast to the small body of existing research, it utilises a combined qualitative methodological approach to identify the unique and rich stories of these older adults who were evacuated during the Brisbane floods. Gerontological literature on older people’s lived experience of disasters remains relatively rare with only a small handful of studies explicitly exploring the impact of natural disasters, such as floods. This gap in the research needs to be addressed, considering that current forecasts for Australia suggest that climate change will increase floods in many regions (Eby & Montenegro, 2009; Garnaut, 2011) and the reality of a rapidly ageing population: the Australian older adult population is predicted to increase by an average of 3.5% over the next 10 years, to 4 million by 2022 (ABS, 2011). There are two opposing views regarding older adults’ relative vulnerability and resilience during a disaster; on one hand, despite older adults’ ability to remain independent and cope in everyday situations, a flood event may push them over their coping threshold and make them more vulnerable to the disaster (Tuohy & Stephens, 2011; Tuohy & Stephens, 2012). On the other hand, some research suggests that elderly flood survivors are relatively resilient and that prior experience of disasters and strong social capital networks may actually reduce adverse psychological effects (Huerta & Horton, 1978; Norris & Murrell, 1988). An argument is that the combination of chronological age (and resultant life experience), higher stress inoculation from prior exposure to disasters/trauma, and a rich social support network may mean that many older adults have more coping resources, and thus, increased disaster resilience. By focusing on the individual experiences of 10 older adults evacuated during both the 2011 and 2013 Brisbane floods, this research both explores the knowledge gap in the current literature and, more practically, will inform older adults, their families and support agencies as they negotiate future disasters. This research makes a significant contribution to the knowledge in this area by using a variety of methodological and analytical approaches - constructivist grounded theory (CGT), narrative, and poetic inquiry - to explore the disaster lifecycle experience, the interaction between older adults and their social capital networks during disasters, the voices of resilience displayed by the older adults, and the poetic voices of survivors. Utilising a PhD by Publication format, these stories are constructed and presented in three separate papers, as outlined below. ii Paper 1 documents the unique temporal experiences of these older adults within a disaster lifecycle framework while also highlighting the impact of policy, societal and technological changes have had on the disaster experience. This paper highlights the stories of residents who have lived through multiple floods (1955, 1974, 2011 & 2013) and were just beginning to acknowledge how their ageing was changing their ability to prepare, respond to and recover from a disaster. Paper 2 addresses the distinct and resilient voices of the participants in this study, utilising a narrative analysis. Participants recounted their stories in a ‘mater-of- fact’ manner discussing the social capital networks they accessed, how they utilised their previous exposure to flooding, and community connectedness. These findings challenge the ‘vulnerable’ ageing stereotype, providing a reassuring and empowering voice to other older adult survivors, families and the community. Finally, Paper 3 applies the novel creative methodology of poetic inquiry to analyse and interpret the older adults’ experiences, documenting the process and potential of poetic inquiry in gerontological research. These poems highlight the different social resources utilised by the older adults, the fears they felt and their unique individual experiences in a powerful and engaging way. In summary, this dissertation provides a unique, significant, vital and timely contribution to the disaster literature in the face of a reality of an ageing population who will be exposed to an increasing disaster risk and expected to take individual responsibility for their disaster response under the direction of the current Australian disaster management policy. By utilising a CGT approach the voices of older adults become the focus of this research, which is in contrast to previous research which seems to speak ‘for’ the older adults, rather than providing them with a platform for their voice. It is hoped that through emphasizing participants’ voices, experiences and emotions, this research will help researchers, educators, practitioners and the wider community to connect to and better understand older peoples disaster experience. The research has provided a deeper understanding of how older adults experience flood disasters, identifies a number of practical (relating to intervention and policy) and theoretical (producing two substantive theories) implications and makes recommendations for future research and practice. Finally, this thesis contributes methodologically by exploring and highlighting the benefit of poetic inquiry in the area of disaster research while also presenting substantive theory in relation to older adults‘ experiences within a disaster lifecycle and factors which may impact on their disaster resilience. It is hoped that the insights developed from this research will provide policy makers, support workers, practitioners, and researchers with clear guidance for the appropriate allocation of resources and the most effective intervention points for inclusion in disaster management plans for future disaster recovery. iii Publications and Conference Presentations Conference Presentations and outputs QUT IGNITE 2012; November 2012 - “Psychosocial variables involved in the individual experiences of older adults before, during and after a severe weather event” A short published literature review was an output from this conference presentation Brockie, L. (2013). Psychosocial variables involved in the individual experiences of older adults before, during and after a severe weather event. Ejournalist, 13(1),53-68. AAG Student Conference; November 2014 - “What doesn’t kill us: Older Queenslanders experience of the 2011 floods - Stories of resilience, survival and support” The Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authority Council (August 2014 in Wellington, New Zealand) - “Vulnerability and Resilience: Older Queenslanders’ Post- Flood Experiences” The New Zealand Association of Gerontology (September 2014 in Dunedin, New Zealand) – “After disaster strikes: older adult’s experience of the 2011 and 2013 Queensland floods” Publications Paper 1 Brockie, L. & Miller, E. From ‘friends to friendly strangers’: Older adults’ disaster lifecycle experience of the 2011/2013 Queensland floods (Submitted 14/03/2016 to International Journal of Disaster Risk Management) Paper 2 Understanding older adults’ resilience during the Brisbane Floods: social capital, life experience and optimism (Submitted 19/05/2016 to Disaster Management and Public Health Preparedness) Paper 3 Miller, E. & Brockie, L. (2015). The disaster flood experience: Older people’s poetic voices of resilience. Journal of Aging Studies, 34, 103-112. iv Table of Contents Keywords ……………………………………………………….……………………………...………. i Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………………….ii Publications and conference presentations ……………………………………………………………..iv Table of contents ……………………………………………………………………………………...v List of figures ………………………………………………………………………………………..viii List of tables …………………………………………………………………………………………..ix List of images …………………………………………………………………………………………..x List of abbreviations…………………………………………………………………………………… xi Statement of originality ……………………………………………………………………………….xii Acknowledgements …………………………………………………………………………………..xiii Forward …………………………………...………………………………………………………..…xiv CHAPTER 1: GENERAL INTRODUCTION .......................................................................... 15 1.1 THE DISASTER LIFECYCLE .......................................................................................................................................... 19 1.2 THE DISASTER RISK-VULNERABILITY NEXUS: OLDER ADULTS — A VULNERABLE POPULATION? ............. 20 1.3 RESILIENCE - NAVIGATING THROUGH A DISASTER WITH SOCIAL CAPITAL AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE .. 21 1.4 CASE STUDY DISASTER SITE — THE 2011 AND 2013 BRISBANE FLOODS ....................................................