Special medical needs sheltering in Philadelphia County

In the event of an emergency requiring evacuation, community dwelling individuals with special medical needs may require accommodation in specialized shelters that address their particular needs and provide additional supports beyond what might be available at a general population shelter. Special medical needs can be defined as physical, emotional/cognitive, and/or medical conditions such that the individual requires help to minimally meet their basic needs. Philadelphia County has a sizeable population of persons with special medical needs (SMN). There are a number of groups involved in sheltering populations during an evacuation emergency. In Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania the city, state and non-governmental organizations such as the Red Cross, all play a role. Organizations involved in sheltering need to have a plan in place for meeting the medical and social support requirements of individuals living in the community who have SMN. The objective of the current study is to recommend policy changes that could help agencies concerned with special medical needs sheltering in Philadelphia County (public or private) better address the needs of this population during an emergency evacuation. Through snowball sampling, 5 experts in community agencies that serve the SMN population in Philadelphia were identified and interviewed. Common themes relating to gaps between the services currently provided for emergency sheltering and needs as well as potential barriers in providing emergency sheltering services were identified.