Coping without car no pleasure for the elderly

Elderly people without cars often miss out on social activities because they are hesitant to ask friends and family for rides unless it is essential, a report has found.

There was a sense of loss when medical problems forced them to give up driving later in life, the New Zealand Institute for Research of Aging (NZIRA) report, Coping Without a Car, found.

The findings are based on interviews with 28 couples and 43 single people, with an average age of over 80, in various towns and cities.

Life without a car had a considerable impact and some respondents became emotional when explaining how the quality of their lives had changed, said the report compiled for the Office for Senior Citizens and released yesterday.

Coping without a car depended on factors such as location, other transport options, and health and mobility, , report author Judith Davey said. She is also the director of the NZIRA director and a Victoria University associate professor.

"Public transport is not available everywhere and less than half of the respondents used bus services because of the difficulties associated with getting on and off the bus," she said.

"Public transport could be a more attractive and viable option for older people if access and safety issues were addressed."

Elderly people preferred community transport because it was door-to-door, but services needed to be more widely available and better publicised.

Most elderly people had weekly trips involving shopping, church, and recreational club or health support group meetings. But a distinction was made between "serious" and "discretionary" travel.

"Older people feel more comfortable about asking family or friends for lifts to medical appointments, shopping and special occasions, than they do for travelling on a whim or for pleasure," Professor Davey said.

"This can curtail their choices and range of activities."

Men found it harder than women to adjust to life without a car, the report said. "Being carless is more of a threat to their independence and self-image."

The Minister for Senior Citizens, Ruth Dyson, said yesterday elderly women generally had better social networks and were more used to being passengers.

"Men frequently associated vehicle ownership and driving with a sense of individuality, independence and status."

The report had confirmed the importance of affordable and accessible transport, she said.

"Improving access and maintaining mobility are key objectives of the Government's Positive Ageing Strategy and New Zealand Strategy, and are essential if older people are to participate fully in our communities."

The report, with the NZIRA paper Older People and Transport released last month, would guide the recently-announced Review of Older Driver Licensing Policy. The Government expects a report next June.

- NZPA