Karen Bagnard, a 79-year-old woman legally blind, lost her Altadena, California home in the January wildfires. The disaster highlights the unique challenges faced by seniors during such events, who may struggle with evacuation and recovery. The article explores the impact of the wildfires on older individuals, the vulnerabilities they face, and the support systems helping them rebuild their lives.
Karen Bagnard's home of more than 50 years in Altadena, California, burned down in January's Los Angeles-area wildfires."I sure didn't expect this at the end of my life," Bagnard, 79, told CNBC."I figured I'd go before the house would.""My daughter called and said, 'Mom, do you realize there's a fire?'" said Bagnard, who is 79 years old and legally blind."I had no idea there was a fire.
The next day, Bagnard's daughter and grandson returned to the neighborhood to check on the home before authorities sealed off the area. What they found was a"smoldering pile of debris," her daughterIt was Jan. 22 before Bagnard was able to return to her neighborhood to see the devastation for herself.
"In two decades, we have not seen any improvement in the fatality rate of older adults in these kinds of disasters," Arigoni said."When you see that kind of trend line, to me that just screams for a different approach." "But it's also been really beautiful to see the older adults really support each other, be there for each other, and see the communities of support that they've built over the last months and years really work for them," Brandon said.
"The insurance companies seem to be pretty good at reacting and seeing what they can replace, but sometimes it's quite a process," Brandon said."The sooner we can get our older adults the resources and equipment that they need, the better off they'll be in this recovery period."Experts emphasize that older individuals may face a prolonged recovery.
Older adults may also have paid off their homes, which means they may not be required to have homeowners' insurance. Consequently, some may be completely uninsured, while others may be underinsured in an effort to keep their monthly expenses down, Arigoni said. "Knowing that you're going blind is like a free fall into the darkness, and then at some point you realize that you bring the light with you, so it isn't really dark," Bagnard said."You have a different kind of light; the light is inside."For most of her life, Bagnard did pen-and-ink drawings with watercolor washes. Since the onset of her vision loss, she has transitioned to other methods, using decoupage and handmade papers as well as writing haikus.
Aging CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES SENIOR CITIZENS DISASTER RELIEF EVACUATION RECOVERY
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