For Aging / Human Service Providers

Our mission is to increase transportation options for older adults and enhance their ability to live more independently within their communities throughout the United States.

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For Aging / Human Service Providers

For Aging/Human Service Providers

Transportation Solutions for Caregivers

This comprehensive package of materials and resources helps caregivers who support older adults who can no longer dirve.

Older adults today are healthier with longer life expectancies than previous generations. The aging of baby boomers will present communities with unique challenges for addressing diverse mobility needs. As the older population increases, so will their mobility needs. Therefore, community planning efforts should consider all options for maintaining and improving older adult mobility.

Access to adequate transportation services is imperative for older adults to remain independent and continue to engage in activities outside the home. Without access to these vital services, many older adults will be stranded in their homes isolated from family and friends and unable to engage in other essential and life-enhancing activities. The links on this page provide resources and materials for coordinating, planning and developing strategies for addressing senior mobility issues.

Publications

Transportation Innovations for Seniors: A report From Rural America (2006) a 27 page report is part of the Transitions to Transportation Options project by the Beverly Foundation and the American Public Transportation Association. The project was designed to study the process older adults experience when they stop driving and make the transition to alternative modes of transportation. The report identifies points of intervention to ease the transition and promote the use of the full continuum of transportation options.

n4a's brochure, Transportation Options for Older Adults: Choices for Mobility Independence, describes various types of transportation services for older adults and lists key questions to ask transportation provider to determine the best option to meet individual needs. This brochure will be handy to have around to give to caregivers of older adults who no longer drive.

Transportation Solutions for Caregivers is a comprehensive package of materials and resources developed by Easter Seals to help caregivers who support older adults who can no longer dirve.

United We Ride’s Framework for Action: Building the Fully Coordinated Transportation System a self-assessment tool for communities and states that can be used for coordinated transportation strategies and efficient transportation solutions.

The NCST's first publication, Seniors Benefit from Transportation Coordination Partnerships A Toolbox, was originally published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging. Service providers can use this resource to help with the coordination of transportation services for older adults. You can view the toolbox on the AOA’s Web site. Print copies of the Executive Summary and Toolbox on CD-ROM are available free of charge from the center. Send an email to NCST@easterseals.com or call the NCST toll-free number: (866)528-6278 to request your copy of the toolbox today.

Maturing of America a report summarizing the results of a survey issued to local governments to assess “aging readiness” of communities.

Blue Print: Building Livable Communities for all ages provides cities and counties with detailed strategies, practical tools and proven solutions to prepare for the large baby boomer population.

Older Driver Safety Project promotes older driver safety, awareness and education. Promising community practices are also included.

Transportation Disadvantaged Seniors a GAO report about the mobility needs of transportation disadvantaged older adults. The report’s findings and recommendations support the need for improved transportation coordination for older adults.

Older Driver Safety: Knowledge Sharing Should Help States Prepare for Increase in Older Driver Population a study by GAO to review steps taken by federal and state governments to support older driver initiatives.

When You Are Concerned: A handbook for families, friends and caregivers worried about the safety of an aging driver.

Aging in Place Initiative a publication by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) and Partners for Livable Communities that helps community leaders in developing an action plan to ensure programs and services are in place so that communities are good places to grow old.

Web Sites

Service providers will find information on different types of transportation alternatives, including guides on driving and resources for facilitating senior transportation in their community at www.seniordrivers.org. (http://www.seniordrivers.org/)

The National Conference of State Legislators provides a detailed analysis of state laws and practices for organizations using volunteer drivers. (http://www.ncsl.org/programs/transportation/SVDLLaws.htm) or (http://www.ncsl.org/print/transportation/vol_driverliabl06.pdf)

The Federal Transit Administration’s Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities Program (Section 5310) provides funding to service providers through a formula program to increase mobility for the older adults and people with disabilities. (http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/
C9070.1F.pdf)

The Federal Transit Administration’s Nonurbanized Area Formula Program (Section 5311) provides funding for capital and operating assistance for rural and small urban public transportation systems. (http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/FTA_C_9040.1F.pdf)

The Federal Transit Administration’s Job Access Reverse Commute Program (Section 5316) provides funding for local programs that offer job access and reverse commute services to provide transportation for low income individuals who may live in the city core and work in suburban locations. (http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/FTA_C_9050.1_JARC.pdf)

The Federal Transit Administration’s New Freedom Program (Section 5317) provides funding to encourage services and facility improvements to address the transportation needs of people with disabilities that go beyond those required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. (http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/FTA_C_9045.1_New_Freedom.pdf)

The Tribal Transportation Program is a report that examines innovations and model practices among tribal transportation programs and its relationship with federal, state and local governments. (http://trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=7746)

To help your organization hire more older workers, the U.S. Department of Labor has an initiative called The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). The program is for older adults and provides subsidized, part-time, community service work-based training for low-income people age 55 or older who have poor employment prospects. Information on the program and how to get further information can be found at the Department of Labor’s Web site (http://www.doleta.gov/seniors/).

The Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP) provides assistance to tribes in developing transportation resources and infrastructure. The program is funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).
TTAP Alaska (http://www.ewu.edu/x1036.xml)
TTAP- Colorado (http://ttap.colostate.edu/)
TTAP-Michigan (http://www.ttap.mtu.edu/)
TTAP- Oklahoma - (http://clgt.okstate.edu/ttap.htm)