Abstract
Brookline, Massachusetts is a town neighboring Boston with a population of 63,191 (Census, 2020). The age-friendly town of Brookline provides extensive public transportation opportunities and services to engage in community mobility, with access to trains, trolleys, and buses. In 2020, 20.9% of Brookline residents were over the age of 60. As people age, the importance of access to transportation, public or private, becomes exponentially more important to their independence, freedom, and quality of life. Due to limitations with mobility, cognition, and other physical implications related to aging, many older adults may choose to not use public transportation. The issue at large is that older adults have little knowledge regarding alternative transportation options (McGrath et al., 2015; Oakes, 2018). Education on transportation services may increase older adults’ likelihood to use transportation services and improve positive attitudes toward these services (Liddle et al., 2014). Community engagement programs have proven to provide older adult nondrivers with resources and skills to age in place safely and increase participation in community mobility (Macdonald et al., 2006; Mulry et al., 2014; Mulry et al., 2017). Research on driving cessation is extensive; however, the transition from driving a private car to using public transportation or relying on alternative modes of transportation is not commonly addressed in scholarly research (Devajyoti et al., 2021).
Purpose:
Participation in community mobility can be increased through widespread early education of alternative transportation options and aided by the practice of using these resources. Therefore, there is an increased need in the education provided to older adults regarding transportation options prior to thinking about driver retirement. This education may be delivered by various healthcare practitioners. Early conversations may increase longer participation in community mobility as older adults age leading to improved mental, physical, and emotional health. A significant purpose of this capstone experience was to implement a community engagement program called Let’s Go, modified for urban dwelling older adults at the Brookline Senior Center. The goal of the program was to improve older adults’ knowledge regarding community mobility and provide transportation and mobility resources to enhance participation in meaningful occupations.
Let’s Go Session Topics:
• Discussion of the benefits and barriers to getting out into the community
• Education on alternative transportation options
• Education on safety strategies to use when in the community
Graduation Date
2022
Document Type
Poster
Recommended Citation
Rindermann, Emily OTS and Dooley, Nancy J. PhD., OTR/L, CDP, "Occupational Therapy Practitioners' Role in Advocating for Access to Transportation" (2022). Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstones. 2.
https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/otd_capstone/2
