Awareness of caregivers regarding disaster prevention and mitigation on remote islands: Comparison between Amami City and Goto City

The objective of the current study was to reveal the perceptions of disaster prevention and reduction among caregiving staff at long-term care insurance facilities located on remote islands, including islands where torrential rain-related disasters have occurred and islands where no major disasters have taken place. By investigating these perceptions, the study sought to reveal the challenges and needs associated with disaster prevention and reduction measures. Participants included caregiving workers employed at welfare facilities designated as evacuation centers in Amami City and Goto City. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, with individual interviews guided by a specifically designed interview protocol. Descriptions regarding the perception of disaster prevention were extracted from verbatim transcripts, followed by qualitative analysis to aggregate subcategories and categories. The research explored and analyzed the disaster prevention awareness among caregivers working on islands with and without significant natural disasters. The results indicated that irrespective of the occurrence of disasters, caregivers commonly recognized the importance of maintaining a “sense of normality” and the necessity of “adjusting the living environment.” Caregivers in Amami City had a limited focus on post-discharge perspectives but had specific ideas about life in evacuation centers. In contrast, caregivers in Goto City, although lacking concrete perceptions about evacuation centers, were attentive to triage, collaboration, and post-discharge care. These insights clarified that both groups shared a clear understanding of disaster prevention as a set of actions necessary to safeguard users and evacuees in providing support for shelter life immediately following a disaster. Conversely, a deficiency was evident in the sense of urgency among caregivers, irrespective of the existence of disasters, in both instances. In conclusion, it is vital for caregivers not only to have tangible concepts for short-term assistance in caregivers’ evacuation centers but also to continually engage in realistic training and education to address the “lack of a sense of crisis” for long-term support following discharge.