AOTA's Older Driver Safety Awareness Week—Friday: Life After Driving
By Stephanie Yamkovenko
Another aim of AOTA’s Older Driver Safety Awareness Week is to promote understanding of the importance of mobility and transportation to ensure that older adults who cannot drive will remain active in their communities.
When an older adult learns that he or she can no longer drive safely, it can be difficult to imagine life after driving. Many believe this equates to a loss of independence. However, older adults who need to limit or stop driving have two choices—they can either find another way to get to the places they want to go, or they can stop leaving their homes.
“Without driving, older adults have been found to participate in less out-of-home activities,” says Peggy Barco, MS, BSW, OTR/L. “Without driving, it has been found that individuals can risk social isolation, depression, and may lack a sense of control over their lives.”
Losing one’s ability to drive does not have to mean losing independence, however. “We need to plan for the day when we can no longer drive and work together as a community to find ways to ensure that all individuals have a fulfilling life by continuing to participate in those activities and occupations that are meaningful to one’s quality of life—with or without driving,” says Barco.
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AOTA’s Older Driver Safety Awareness Week runs from December 5 to 9.
- Find articles on each day’s topic—Monday: Family Conversations; Tuesday: Screening and Evaluation; Wednesday: Driving Equipment and Adaptations; Thursday: Taking Changes in Stride; Friday: Life After Driving
- Click here for all AOTA Resources on Older Driver Safety Awareness Week.
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Occupational therapy practitioners play an important role in helping older adults who can no longer drive find ways to participate in activities and occupations. “The occupational therapy practitioner is involved in working with the client in the present as well as being an advocate for change in the community for the future,” says Barco.
Alternative transportation options aren’t always realistic for older adults because the same reasons that an individual can no longer drive can also be barriers to community mobility options. “Van services, cabs, and coordinating friends and family members for trips involve complex scheduling issues which require a high level of executive function and cognitive abilities, which maybe be declining in the older adult,” says Barco. “Other options such as walking to a bus require adequate physical stamina, balance, and sensory skills, which can also show decline in older adults.”
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Occupational therapy practitioners play an important role in helping older adults who can no longer drive find ways to participate in activities and occupations. “The occupational therapy practitioner is involved in working with the client in the present as well as being an advocate for change in the community for the future,” says Barco.
Alternative transportation options aren’t always realistic for older adults because the same reasons that an individual can no longer drive can also be barriers to community mobility options. “Van services, cabs, and coordinating friends and family members for trips involve complex scheduling issues which require a high level of executive function and cognitive abilities, which maybe be declining in the older adult,” says Barco. “Other options such as walking to a bus require adequate physical stamina, balance, and sensory skills, which can also show decline in older adults.”
Occupational therapy practitioners can develop health and wellness programs that focus on maintaining cognitive abilities and physical strength to help older adults have the ability to use alternative transportation. Practitioners can also help older adults formulate schedules of their important activities and assist in scheduling transportation with family members and friends to help ensure engagement and activity outside the home.
Families need to understand the issues and know about resources before driving cessation to facilitate thinking about potential issues and starting the process before a crisis occurs. Occupational therapy practitioners can counsel families and individuals before and after driving cessation. “We need to work with the whole system—the client, family and friends, and community resources—to help identify ways that older adults can maintain their participation in activities outside of the home without driving,” says Barco.
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