Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T06:27:52.342Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Older Women's Community Mobility: A Qualitative Exploration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2010

Marcia Finlayson  and
Joseph Kaufert
Marcia Finlayson
Affiliation:
University of Illinois at Chicago
Joseph Kaufert
Affiliation:
University of Manitoba*
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Many of the limitations experienced by community-dwelling older women are related to mobility within their communities. This qualitative study explored community mobility from the perspective of older, community-dwelling women in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Semi-structured interviews were completed with 23 older women (mean age 75.9 years) identified through an existing database. In addition to travels to conduct instrumental activities of daily living and participate in social and recreational activities, the women in the study described trips to fulfil social obligations (e.g., attending funerals, visiting sick friends) and emphasized the importance of these trips. The women's travels through the city were influenced by their perception of risk and the strategies they employed to minimize or avoid risk during the day, in the evening, and during bad weather. Autonomous community mobility provided the women with a sense of independence and control. The findings have potential implications for health care providers and community programmers who work to maintain older women in the community.

Résumé

Plusieurs des limites auxquelles font face les femmes âgées qui vivent dans la communauté concernent leur mobilité. Cette étude qualitative traite de la mobilité des femmes âgées qui vivent dans la communauté à Winnipeg, au Manitoba, et repose sur leur propre point de vue sur la question. On a mené des entrevues semi-structurées auprès de 23 femmes âgées (moyenne d'âge de 75,9 ans) dont les noms faisaient partie d'une banque de données. En plus des déplacements pour les activités instrumentales de la vie quotidienne et pour participer aux activités récréatives et sociales, les femmes de l'étude décrivaient leurs déplacements pour leurs obligations sociales (par. ex.: assister à des funérailles, visiter des ami(e)s malades) et elles ont souligné l'importance de ces déplacements. Leur perception du risque et les stratégies qu'elles devaient employer pour les minimiser ou les contourner pendant le jour, en soirée et lors de conditions météorologiques difficiles influaient sur les déplacements des femmes dans la ville. Les déplacements autonomes dans la communauté procurent aux femmes une forme d'indépendance et de maîtrise. Les conclusions entraînent des répercussions pour les fournisseurs de soins de santé et les organisateurs communautaires qui travaillent à garder les femmes âgées dans la communauté.

Keywords

Qualitative ResearchOlder WomenCommunity MobilityRisk PerceptionRecherche qualitativefemmes agéesdéplacements dans la communautéperceptoin de risque
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 21 , Issue 1 , Spring/Printemps 2002 , pp. 75 - 84
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ashford, N., & Holloway, F.M. (1972). Transportation patterns of older people in six urban centres. The Gerontologist, 12, 43–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ball, K., & Rebok, G. (1994). Evaluating the driving ability of older adults. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 13(1), 20–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonnel, W.B. (1999). Giving up the care: Older women's losses and experiences. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, 37(5), 10–15.Google ScholarPubMed
Canada, Minister of Industry. (1997). A portrait of seniors in Canada. Ottawa, ON: Minister Responsible for Statistics Canada.Google Scholar
Carp, F. (1972). Mobility among members of a retirement community. The Gerontologist, (Spring), 48–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Colsher, P., & Wallace, R.B. (1993). Geriatric assessment and driver functioning. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 9(2), 365–375.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cutler, S.J. (1975). Transportation and changes in life satisfaction. The Gerontologist, 15, 155–159.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cutler, S.J., & Coward, R.T. (1992). Availability of personal transportation in households of elders: Age, gender and residence differences. The Gerontologist, 32, 77–81.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eberhard, J.W. (1998). Driving is transportation for most older people. Geriatrics, 53 (Suppl. 1), S53–S55.Google Scholar
Eisenhandler, S.A. (1990). The asphalt identikit: Old age and the driver's license. In Hess, B.B. & Markson, E.W. (Eds), Growing old in America (4th edition), (pp. 104–120). New Brunswick, USA: Transaction Publishers.Google Scholar
Forrest, K.Y.Z., Bunker, C.H., Songer, T.H., Coben, J.H., & Cauley, J.A. (1997). Driving patterns and medical conditions in older women. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 45(10), 1214–1218.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fox, G.K., Bowden, S.C., Bashford, G.M., & Smith, D.S. (1997). Alzheimer's disease and driving: Prediction and assessment of driving performance. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 45(8), 949–953CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gallo, J.J., Rebok, G.W., & Lesikar, S.E. (1999). Driving habits of adults aged 60 years and older. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 47(3), 335–341.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gant, R.L., & Smith, J.A. (1988). Journey patterns of the elderly and disabled in the Cotswolds: A spatial analysis. Social Science and Medicine, 27(2), 173–180.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Golant, S.M. (1984a). Factors influencing the nighttime activity of old persons in their community. Journal of Gerontology, 39, 485–491.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Golant, S.M. (1984b). Factors influencing the locational context of old people's activities. Research on Aging, 6, 528–547.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grant, P.R., & Rice, B. (1983). Transportation problems of the rural elderly: A needs assessment. Canadian Journal on Aging, 2(3), 107–124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iutcovich, J.M., & Iutcovich, M. (1988). Assessment of the transportation needs of Pennsylvania's elderly population. The Journal of Applied Gerontology, 7, 514–529.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joseph, A.E., & Fuller, A.M. (1991). Towards an integrative perspective on the housing, services and transportation implications of rural aging. Canadian Journal on Aging, 10(2), 127–148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larson, K.O., Stevens-Ratchford, R.G., Pedretti, L., & Crabtree, J.L. (1996). ROTE: The role of occupational therapy with the elderly (2nd Edition). Rockville, MD: American Occupational Therapy Association.Google Scholar
Marottoli, R.A., Richardson, E.D., Stowe, M.H., Miller, E.G., Brass, L.M., Cooney, L.M., & Tinetti, M.E. (1998). Development of a test battery to identify older drivers at risk for selr-reported adverse driving events. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 46(5), 562–568.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marottoli, R.A., Mendes de Leon, C.F., Glass, T.A., Williams, C.S., Cooney, L.M., Berkman, L.F., & Tinetti, M.E. (1997). Driving cessation and increased depressive symptoms: Prospective evidence from the New Haven EPESE. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 45(2), 202–206.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGhee, J.L. (1983). Transportation opportunity and the rural elderly: A comparison of objective and subjective indicators. The Gerontologist, 23(5), 505–511.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (10th Ed.). (1993). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.Google Scholar
Canada, Minister of Industry. (1997). A portrait of seniors in Canada. Ottawa, ON: Minister Responsible for Statistics Canada.Google Scholar
Paaswell, R.E., Weinstein, E., & Nalepa, M. (1982). Housing location and transport for the elderly. In Ashford, N., Bell, W.G., & Rich, T.A. (Eds.), Mobility and transport for elderly and handicapped persons (pp. 57–64). New York: Gordon and Breach Science Publishers.Google Scholar
Patterson, A.H. (1985). Fear of crime and other barriers to the use of public transportation by the elderly. Journal of Architectural Planning Research, 2, 277–288.Google Scholar
Persson, D. (1993). The elderly driver: Deciding when to stop. The Gerontologist, 233(1), 88–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosenbloom, S. (1993). Transportation needs of the elderly population. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 9(2), 297–310.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sims, R.V., Owsley, C., Allman, R.M., Ball, K., & Smoot, T.M. (1998). Preliminary assessment of the medical and functional factors associated with vehicle crashes by older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 46(5), 556–561.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, B.W., & Hiltner, J. (1988). Who are the elderly users of public transportation? A case study in Toledo, Ohio. The Journal of Applied Gerontology, 7, 504–513.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, G.C. (1984). Spatial aspects of the shopping patterns of the urban elderly. Canadian Journal on Aging, 3, 133–146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, G.C. (1991). Grocery shopping patterns of the ambulatory urban elderly. Environment and Behavior, 23(1), 86–114.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, G.C. (1994, April) Personal Communication.Google Scholar
Stewart, R.B., Moore, M.T., Marks, R.G., May, F.E., & Hale, W.E. (1993). Driving accidents in the elderly: An analysis of symptoms, diseases and medications. Journal of Geriatric Drug Therapy, 8(2), 31–44.Google Scholar
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Stutts, J.C. (1998). Do older drivers with visual and cognitive impairments drive less? Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 46(7), 854–861.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
WordPerfect Corporation (1994). WordPerfect 6.0a for Windows [Computer Software]. Orem, Utah: WordPerfect Corporation.Google Scholar