Surviving Typhoon Yolanda (Haijan): Experiences of Older Adults in a Rural Area in the Philippines

Abstract

This study explored the lived experiences of the older adults affected by the Typhoon Yolanda(Haijan). Using Husserl’s Phenomenological design, this study interviewed nine informants through a Focus Group interview to generate their experiences during the prior to, during and after the typhoon. Data gathering and analysis were done using Collaizi’s method which produced descriptions of the informants’ experiences. The findings generated six emergent themes describing the lives experiences as: living and reliving experiences of fear, enhanced physical burden, loss and helplessness, selflessness, social bond and rebuilding lives. The themes generated described the experiences of older adults from a negative translated into positive experiences. The findings present the uniqueness of the lived experiences of older adults during a disaster.