"The challenge is not to make her feel old and bad" : Exploring Australian family member experiences of conversations about driving with older adults using an online survey

Journal article


Veerhuis, Nadine, Harada, Theresa, Murray, Karina, Andrew, Catherine, Traynor, Victoria and Randle, Melanie. (2023). "The challenge is not to make her feel old and bad" : Exploring Australian family member experiences of conversations about driving with older adults using an online survey. Journal of Applied Gerontology. 42(8), pp. 1830-1839. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648231162696
AuthorsVeerhuis, Nadine, Harada, Theresa, Murray, Karina, Andrew, Catherine, Traynor, Victoria and Randle, Melanie
Abstract

This study explored the experiences of Australian family members having conversations about driving with older adults. An exploratory cross-sectional design using an online survey was carried out with Australian family members of current or retired (former) older drivers. One hundred and fifty-six intergenerational family members across Australia completed the survey. Qualitative content analysis of free-text responses identified that the outcomes of conversations were impacted by a range of environmental and individual factors. The essence of conversations centered around two opposing (positive and negative) discourses. The findings highlighted that an individualized approach to the content of conversations is required due to; driver attributes and actions, variations in the level of support experienced by family members, differences in physical and cognitive declines with age, negative perceptions on the impact of driving retirement, and absence of acceptable alternatives to driving. We recommend using positive discourse and reappraisal techniques when initiating driving conversations with older adults.

Keywordsaged; family conversation; driving cessation; older driver; motor vehicle; communication; decision making
Year2023
JournalJournal of Applied Gerontology
Journal citation42 (8), pp. 1830-1839
PublisherSAGE Publications
ISSN0733-4648
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648231162696
PubMed ID37021328
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85152259991
PubMed Central IDPMC10394968
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
Page range1830-1839
FunderTransport for NSW
Research Training Program Scholarship (RTP), Australian Government
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online05 Apr 2023
Publication process dates
Deposited30 Apr 2025
Additional information

© The Author(s) 2023.

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

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