Utilization of Driving Rehabilitation among Older Adults: LongROAD Analysis of the National Health and Aging Trends Study

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety · 2017 · AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

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Summary

This study investigates the utilization of driving rehabilitation services among older adults, addressing a gap in strategies to delay driving cessation, which is associated with negative health outcomes such as depression and functional decline. Using data from Round 5 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a nationally representative longitudinal cohort of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older, the research identifies demographic and health characteristics associated with receiving rehabilitation specifically to improve driving ability. The analysis focused on 7,062 community-dwelling older adults, of whom 19% reported using rehabilitation services in the past year. Among those users, 10% (n=128) sought rehabilitation to improve driving, while 2% (n=25) sought it for other transportation modes. The study employed Rao-Scott Chi-square tests for initial associations and weighted multiple logistic regression to evaluate predictors, including demographics, health status, and physical function measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery. Results indicated that marital status was a significant predictor of driving rehabilitation utilization. Compared to married older adults, those who were single, separated, never married, or living alone were significantly less likely to use rehabilitation for driving improvement (Odds Ratio: 0.29; 95% CI: 0.11–0.80). Widowed individuals also showed a lower likelihood of utilization compared to married peers, though this finding was not statistically significant (OR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.32–1.13). Age trends suggested peak utilization between ages 65 and 79, with usage declining sharply after age 80. Additionally, participants with better lower extremity physical function were less likely to report using driving rehabilitation. Dementia status and comorbidity counts did not significantly contribute to the predictive model. The findings suggest that single older adults may be an underserved population regarding driving rehabilitation, potentially due to a lack of social support or awareness. The authors conclude that targeted evaluations for driving rehabilitation could benefit this group, particularly as driving cessation threatens independence and social engagement. While the study highlights the potential role of rehabilitation in maintaining mobility, it notes limitations regarding sample size for non-driving transportation rehabilitation and the inability to determine the timing of service initiation relative to driving cessation. Future research should explore longitudinal associations between rehabilitation and driving outcomes.

Key finding

Among NHATS Round 5 community-dwelling older adults, single, separated, or never-married individuals were significantly less likely than married adults to use rehabilitation specifically to improve driving ability (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.11–0.80).

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 7062

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• older driver retraining
• older drivers