Local Community Resources
"Today there
are more than 35 million people over the age of 65 in the United States. By
2030, less than 30 years away, the number of people 65 and older will have
doubled to 70 million. Sixty-five and older is the fastest growing segment
of our population — and 85 and older is the fastest growing subset of that
population. The increasing proportion of older persons in the general
population is going to change how we look at the needs of older people."
[http://www.ctaa.org]
These facts will affect communities as families,
caregivers, and drivers will turn to them for help with
issues such as public transportation, local elder driver
resources, education, and other requests for assistance.
Many community organizations — both public and
nongovernmental — provide information and education
about options for older driver safety. Families and
community groups look to these organizations to answer
questions about driving wellness. Service providers for
older adults can act as focal points for driving
wellness activities, such as coordinating communication
and disseminating information. They also can help
identify unsafe drivers who attend programs and receive
services from their organizations.
Staff members of community organizations can work
with the seniors and their families to help the older
motorists stay safe behind the wheel. By offering
programs that emphasize maintaining driving longevity
rather than driving cessation, these agencies develop
trusting relationships with all parties and can
encourage and assist the older driver to continue
driving safely by:
-
Developing opportunities to assess the driving environment;
-
Creating or providing referrals to driving programs that assess capability and
provide on- and off-road training programs;
-
Providing assessments for driving function;
-
Distributing information on safe driving and self-assessment;
-
Creating supportive options for older drivers who must reduce driving or
retire from the wheel; and
-
Collaborating with transportation and service providers to ensure that
transportation options are available for drivers who reduce or stop driving.
The Community Transportation Association (CTAA) is a public and community
transportation advocate and offers a senior transportation toolkit on their web
site at this link:
www.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/articlefiles/senior_toolkit.pdf
Community agencies looking for statistical data for reports, projects and
proposals will find useful data on the following web sites.
A toolkit for local government to help plan and
prepare for their aging populations called Aging in
Place can be accessed at this link:
http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/agingmaterials/Aging_final.pdf
The Aging In Place initiative report on developing a
livable community for all ages can be accessed at this
link:
http://www.aginginplaceinitiative.org/
storage/aipi/documents/Blueprint_for_Action_web.pdf
A report on Livable Communities for Older People can
be accessed at this link:
http://www.generationsjournal.org/generations/gen29-4/Gen29_4.Kochera%20.pdf
Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) often have
programs for local communities. The MPO Advisory Council
can be accessed at this link: http:/www.mpoac.org/index.shtml
FHWA Safety and Design resources can be
accessed at this link:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/resourcecenter/teams/safety/solutions.cfm
The N4A's Older Driver Safety Project has a community approach
component to promoting older driver safety. This community-based approach
can be accessed at this
link:
http://www.n4a.org/pdf/Older_Driver-A_community_Approach.pdf
DriveWell provides presentations, handouts and fact
sheets on older driver wellness and can be accessed at
this link:
http://www.asaging.org/asav2/drivewell/index.cfm?CFID=22300153&CFTOKEN=71794017
Emergency preparation for seniors can be found on the
CTAA's web site that can be accessed at this link:
http://www.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/
articlefiles/Emergency_Preparedness_for_Older_People.pdf
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has
released a report that assesses the challenges and
barriers state and local officials face in integrating
the transportation of disadvantaged populations into
their disaster planning efforts. This report can be
accessed at this link:
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0744.pdf
The Florida Roundabout Guide was developed by the Florida Department of
Transportation (FDOT) to assist district offices and local agencies in identifying
appropriate sites for roundabouts and determining their preferred configuration
and operational features. Access to this guide and more information on
roundabouts are on the
Roadway web page.
Rural transportation options for seniors can be found at this link:
http://www.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/articlefiles/Senior_Rural_Innovations.pdf
The Florida Transportation Technology Transfer (T²)
Center is an umbrella organization housing various
programs that provide training and technical assistance
to Florida's transportation and public works
professionals. Their web site can be accessed at this
link:
http://t2.ce.ufl.edu/view.asp?view=about
T² Center training workshops can be accessed at this
link:
http://t2.ce.ufl.edu/workshops.asp
Training opportunities are available on the FDOT's
Safe Mobility for Life web site, including dates and
locations for CarFit®
and the Safe Mobility for Life: Preparing our State for
the Future training course can be accessed at
this link:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/Operations/SafetyisGolden_training.shtm
The FDOT's Roadway Design training resources can be
accessed at this link:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/rddesign/Training/Training.shtm
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