The Social Context of Driving Cessation: Understanding the Effects of Cessation on the Life Satisfaction of Older Drivers and Their Social Partners

Abstract

Older adults with vision loss and a friend or family member were interviewed over a 2-year period. We examined the effects of driving cessation on life satisfaction among older adults and a social contact. Drivers' use of public transportation was examined as a moderator. Driving cessation was associated with a decline in life satisfaction among social partners but not for the drivers. Drivers' use of public transportation at baseline moderated the effects of cessation on changes in well-being among social partners, but had little effect on the life satisfaction of the drivers. Life satisfaction was greater among the social partners of ex-drivers who used public transportation more frequently. The association between driving cessation and well-being should be studied in the context of older drivers' social networks. Infrastructure (e.g., subways and buses) that supports transportation needs plays an important role in mitigating the effects of cessation on older adults' social networks.

The influence of spouses and their driving roles in self-regulation: A qualitative exploration of driving reduction and cessation practices amongst married older adults

“…The current study findings explored the impact of having at least one spouse who can drive on older couples' driving decisions and outcomes. We noted that the couple's engagement in driving may influence or constraint his/her partner's engagement in driving for transportation support [13,16]. Whilst this is true, not many studies have examined the impact of living arrangement (living with spouse or other immediate family members) on driving self-regulation.…”

“…Nevertheless, the impact of spousal influence on driving transition amongst older couples is largely understudied. Until recently, most of the available studies have explored spousal influence on life satisfaction and social engagement amongst older couples in developed countries with limited information from developing countries like Malaysia [13,15,16].…”

“…Given that reliance on spouse for transportation support is common amongst older couples [16] and safe travel remains a crucial goal, is there a role for spouse in sustaining safe mobility in later stage of life? Hence, the present study examined the influence of spouses on driving self-regulation.…”

Rate of Social Isolation by Geographic Location Among Older Adults: AAA LongROAD Study

“…The latter is associated with significant health decline including worsening physical function and increased depression (1,(3)(4)(5). It was founded that a modifiable risk factor associated with mortality and increased medical costs is social isolation (6)(7)(8).…”

Driving Status and Transportation Disadvantage Among Medicare Beneficiaries

“…Given the impact of driving cessation on health and well-being, it is important to consider how social support and other factors could moderate the experience of mobility changes (Silverstein & Turk, 2016). A recent study found that the use of public transportation moderated the impact of driving cessation on well-being in a sample of older adults with vision loss and their social partners, although the impact was more evident among the partners than the ex-drivers (Schryer, Boerner, Horowitz, Reinhardt, & Mock, 2019). A qualitative study on driving cessation among older adults with dementia found that caregivers made efforts to engage the individuals for whom they provide care in meaningful social roles and activities to mitigate the negative emotional impact of driving cessation (Sanford et al, 2018).…”