Improving Mobility for Rural Older Adults: A Program Review

The population of older adults is increasing and is expected to represent a larger proportion of the population over the next several decades. Those who live in rural areas face many transportation challenges, including a reliance on personal vehicles, reduced availability of public transportation, fewer friends and family to rely on for rides, and longer travel distances. This research effort entailed expert interviews and a search to determine what types of programs currently exist in rural or urban environments that might enable rural seniors to retain mobility. The results illustrate a wide variety of programs, many of which offer multiple types of services. Among these, there are also minute but important differences. Several gaps between users requiring rides and available mobility options for seniors are noted. Suggestions for an implementation to bridge the gap are explored. Researchers discovered that many law enforcement training programs appear to no longer be functional. Additionally, gaps related to the use of GPS technologies as well as expansions of current implementations are discussed.