Date Presented 4/21/2018
This qualitative study was aimed at understanding how older adults learn about community mobility options. It also identified the perceived barriers of different types of transportation. Implications for occupational therapy practice are discussed.
Primary Author and Speaker: Claudia Oakes
Contributing Authors: Elena Gandiaga, Rachel Williams
PURPOSE: Transportation and community mobility are important issues in the aging population. Driving cessation has been associated with nursing home placement, depression, worse health outcomes, and social isolation (Chihuri et al., 2015; Curl et al., 2014). National and regional efforts are being coordinated to improve older adults’ access to needed goods and services (Eby & Molnar, 2009), but older adults are not always knowledgeable about community‐based services that are available (McGrath et al., 2015). The purpose of this study was to understand how older adults in one city who either were nondrivers or were cutting back on driving learned about and perceived the range of available transportation options.
METHOD: This qualitative study used a purposive sample of residents of one city who were over age 70 and had never driven, had stopped driving, or were cutting back on driving recruited through the local senior center. Participants were asked about their current methods of community mobility and their awareness and perceptions of the options available in their town. Participants were also provided with information about the transportation options that were available.
Semistructured interviews were completed with 12 participants. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. The primary investigator and two research assistants completed multiple readings of the transcripts and coded and extrapolated emerging themes. Investigator triangulation was used to increase confidence in the validity of the results.
RESULTS: All participants reported use of several different methods of transportation. Self (n = 6), family (n = 10), and friends (n = 8) were the most commonly used methods; transportation services provided by the town were the least commonly used (n =1). Word of mouth was the most common method of learning about transportation, leading to incomplete knowledge of the array of available options. Participants held individualized perceptions of the financial and emotional costs of different transportation options. Concerns about the safety of different options prevailed. A range of perceived barriers to transportation options were identified, including lack of access on weekends and evenings, lack of Internet access to learn about or register for options, and reluctance to rely on friends and family.
CONCLUSION: Participants in this study did not make full use of the range of transportation options available in their city because of incomplete knowledge and perceived barriers to accessing and using the services. Policymakers should consider ways to ensure that older adults have access to the information needed to make informed decisions about community‐based services such as paratransit, dial‐a‐ride, and volunteer services. Older adults who have limited knowledge of transportation options may benefit from occupational therapy interventions to help them make informed decisions about community mobility and improve their participation in everyday living.
References
Chihuri, S., Mielenz, T. J., DiMaggio, C. J., Beatz, M. E., DiGuiseppi, C., Jones, V. C., & Li, G. (2015). Driving cessation and health outcomes in older adults: A LongROAD study. Washington, DC: AAA Foundation for Traffic Study.
Curl, A. L., Stowe, J. D., Cooney, T. M., & Proulx, C. M. (2014). Giving up the keys: How driving cessation affects engagement in later life. Gerontologist, 54, 423–433. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnt037
Eby, D. W., & Molnar, L. J. (2009). Older adults’ safety and mobility: Issues and research needs. Public Works Management and Policy, 13, 288–300. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087724X09334494
McGrath, M., Clancy, K., & Kenny, A. (2015). An exploration of strategies used by older people to obtain information about health‐and social care services in the community. Health Expectations, 19, 1150–1159. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.12408
