Driving protects against home placement
Anyone who is still behind the wheel in old age has a lower risk of moving into a home or assisted living soon. The background is probably not driving a car per se, but the loss of independent mobility as such, explains Ellen Freeman from Johns Hopkins University. "If someone can no longer come to the door because the primary means of transport is missing, the likelihood that other support will be needed in daily life increases."
The loss of the ability to drive hits seniors in rural areas or regions with poorly developed public transport particularly hard. "We do not recommend that seniors continue to drive vehicles that pose a hazard to others or themselves"
(Ellen Freeman) The researchers hope that a deeper understanding of the he alth impairment experienced by older people from losing their own car to get around will inspire families to think and implement ways to support older family members with transportation issues.
Over a period of ten years, the scientists surveyed almost 1,600 people aged between 65 and 84 from the medium-sized town of Salisbury. Non-drivers across all age groups had a fourfold risk, Even science knows a summer slump. More and more results then flood the media, which otherwise hardly find their way into reporting. With the "Summer slump today" series, we would like to present a selection to you. Having to seek outside help as a driver. If there was no driver in the household, the probability doubled. By the end of the study, 29 percent of men and 58 percent of women had no drivers in their homes.
Since residential accommodation also causes considerable costs for society, the question of the long-term independence of seniors also has a financial side. The results showed the importance of researching how to let older people drive safely and live independently for as long as possible. But: "We do not recommend that seniors continue to drive vehicles that pose a danger to others or themselves," says Freeman.
