Citation

Ryvicker M, Bollens-Lund E, Ornstein KA. J. Appl. Gerontol. 2018; ePub(ePub): 733464818806834.

Affiliation

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0733464818806834

PMID

30362863

Abstract

Transportation disadvantage may have important implications for the health, well-being, and quality of life of older adults. This study used the 2015 National Health Aging Trends Study, a nationally representative study of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and over ( N = 7,498), to generate national estimates of transportation modalities and transportation disadvantage among community-dwelling older adults in the United States. An estimated 10.8 million community-dwelling older adults in the United States rarely or never drive. Among nondrivers, 25% were classified as transportation disadvantaged, representing 2.3 million individuals. Individuals with more chronic medical conditions and those reliant on assistive devices were more likely to report having a transportation disadvantage ( p <.05). Being married resulted in a 50% decreased odds of having a transportation disadvantage ( p <.01). Some individuals may be at higher risk for transportation-related barriers to engaging in valued activities and accessing care, calling for tailored interventions such as ride-share services combined with care coordination strategies.

Language: en

Keywords

access to care; care coordination; service utilization; transportation