Eldersafety.org

Models For Success

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There are a number of different approaches you can take to improve the safe mobility of seniors at a community, regional, or state-level. Traditional programs emphasized, "How to take away the keys". Not only is this not an effective approach, it has made the issue so sensitive that families, health care providers and seniors themselves often refuse to discuss it until it is too late.

To successfully change this culture new approaches should:

1. emphasize preventing impairments that increase risk;

2. take a positive, supportive (rather than punitive) approach;

3. address the social and institutional systems within a community; and

4. highlight collaboration.

Programs designed to improve safe mobility for seniors should contain the following elements:

1. They should address driving safety early, while the senior is still adequately able to self-regulate or compensate for problems and create long-term compensation and remediation strategies.

2. They should work with the system to link mobility and social services and ensure that seniors can remain independent, vital members of their communities.

3. They should provide a remediation context that give seniors and their communities tools to compensate for health problems or rehabilitate functional impairments that can cause driving risk.

4. They should work to maximize driving safety while enhancing mobility options such as public transportation, volunteer-based services, and walking.

Learn more about successful approaches.
Public Health Systems Approach
Collaborative Task Force Approach
Comprehensive Injury Prevention Approach
Finding the Money

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