The use of participation-oriented education in the rehabilitation of driving skills in older adults

The driving abilities of adults appear to diminish in conjunction with age-related physical and cognitive changes. In this exploratory study, rehabilitation strategies used with 21 older adults were examined to determine the most effective method of retraining driving skills. Subjects, who met the study's eligibility criteria (aged 55 years or older, held a valid driver's license, drove a minimum of 1000 miles/year, and no participation in an adult re-education program) received driver simulation training, classroom viewing of driver simulation films, or no treatment. Outcome measures included on-road and clinical evaluations, as well as self-report information. A significant difference was found between treatment type and subjects' accuracy scores for on-road evaluation, thus suggesting that driving simulation may result in a significant improvement in older adults' driving performance as compared to other intervention strategies. The study has particular relevance to occupational therapy practitioners, with their growing involvement in driving programs throughout the United States.