Post-earthquake evacuation of aged care residents from Canterbury, New Zealand: lessons in resilience

Abstract

In this paper we explore the relocation experiences of older people who were evacuated from damaged aged care facilities following a magnitude 6.3 earthquake on the 22nd February 2011 in Canterbury, New Zealand. Our analysis of older residents’ and staffs’ recollections of the chaotic aftermath of the earthquake and subsequent evacuation to host facilities in Dunedin shows that social capital in the form of social and community support plays a major role in the construction of resilience. This insight constitutes a highly pertinent contribution to both fields of disaster studies and the emergent literature on ageing and resilience. We used qualitative methods, with open-ended questions in semi-structured interviews of older people willing and able to discuss their experiences.