2475 - A Multidimensional Understanding of Older Adult Mobility Needs: A Survey to Improve Mobility, Health, and Social Inclusion among Older Adults in California

Abstract

Background By 2030 the older adult population in California is expected to nearly double to over 8.6 million people (from 2012). This population will experience a number of specialized needs that includes health care, housing, and transportation due to reduced physical and cognitive function. In particular, older adults will reduce and eventually stop driving for medical and non-medical reasons. This reduced mobility, as a result of driving reduction, can impact mental health and activities including accessing needed medical care. Study Objective In order to plan for these mobility changes and to support healthy aging and social inclusion, the pilot project aims to understand different dimensions of the mobility needs of older adults in California. One’s household transportation opportunities, community transportation opportunities, and neighborhood characteristics will impact individual mobility. Therefore, the study aims are as follows: Aim 1: To describe the mobility needs of older adult by region and demographic characteristics Aim 2: To describe how emerging technologies impact mobility for older adults Aim 3: To describe how mobility and neighborhoods impact residential choices, particularly aging in place. Project Description This project is led by a multidisciplinary center, UC Berkeley’s Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC), and is funded by the University of California at Berkeley’s Institute for Transportation Studies through the Road Repair and Accountability Act. The survey will be administered in May 2018 by Ewald & Wasserman, a survey research group, using Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing Software. The sample will be representative of specific locations that include urban and non-urban areas. The proposed dimensions include: • Individual and household characteristics • Aging-in-the-right place • Mobility status, patterns and needs • Readiness for driving cessation • Driving transition readiness • Consequences of reduced mobility • Access and comfort with driving alternatives • Knowledge of transportation opportunities in one’s community Summary Addressing the mobility needs of the growing older adult population will require a multidisciplinary approach and likely different interventions for urban and non-urban residents and by age cohort. This presentation will focus on the conceptual framework and emerging issues.