Identifying early healthcare needs of older adults following the Kahramanmaras earthquakes in Tu<euro>rkiye: A qualitative study

Background: Older adults are particularly vulnerable to the adverse health impacts following natural disasters due to their physiological and social vulnerabilities. This study was conducted to identify the early healthcare needs of older adults following the Kahramanmara,s earthquakes in Turkiye. Method: This study used a phenomenological descriptive qualitative design and was conducted with 133 older adults in six cities between the 10th and 21st days following the earthquakes. Data were collected using the face-to-face interviews, observations, and physical examinations were conducted. Results: Thirty different nursing diagnoses for older adults were identified using the Functional Health Patterns Model. The themes identified by the study's qualitative data analysis were "security risk," "comfort," "socio-cultural structure," and "access to service." Conclusion: Older adults have multiple characteristics and multidimensional care needs that increase their vulnerability after a disaster. It is advised that these needs be taken into account in the holistic planning of post-disaster services. (c) 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.