Caregiving: Who will drive Miss Daisy?

The question of "Who will drive Miss Daisy?" is compounded by the fact that often Miss Daisy has lived in the suburbs and plans to stay.

In the past, when most people lived in cities, public transportation made it easy for those of any age to get around, but most U.S. suburbs were built with a car being a necessity.

"By the year 2030, the population of U.S. adults over the age of 65 is expected to double to 70 million people, and a statistical analysis by the National Institutes of Health has found a significant gap between overall life expectancy and driving expectancy," said Daniel B. Hess, assistant professor of urban and regional planning at the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning.

"That means a significant number of adults will live well beyond their ability to drive an automobile, and will need to use public transportation on a nearly daily basis just to perform perfunctory tasks like visiting friends or family, grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions or going to medical appointments."

Hess is conducting a study of the barriers faced by western New Yorkers over the age of 65 when they try to get around using public transportation.

"For example, many people over the age of 65 haven't taken a bus in 20 years and some said they thought the high steps would give them trouble. However, all they needed to see was the new buses that can lower the steps closer to the road," Hess told UPI's Caregiving. "Their perception really differed from reality."

The research is important, because if we can identify and correct barriers faced by older adults, the rest of us, including the young and the physically disabled, will benefit from better accommodations, according to Hess.

Hess also is examining the transportation challenges posed by what researchers call "aging in place."

"This is a term used to describe the phenomenon of older adults electing to remain in the largely automobile-dependent neighborhoods -- often in the suburbs -- where they've lived most of their lives," said Hess. "Many of these metropolitan neighborhoods have little or no access to public transportation."

Although Erie County ranks eighth among U.S. counties in the percentage of older adults living in suburbs, there is less transit service there than in the city, because there are fewer homes, destinations are farther apart and there are fewer transit riders, according to Hess.

As someone who once lived in a suburb of Buffalo, I can verify that performing perfunctory tasks using public transportation is a nightmare. As a college student and later a graduate student I used public transportation and for many of those years had no access to a car.

The city of Buffalo's bus system followed its earlier trolley system from decades ago, and while it worked very well in the city -- most people live a block or two from a main thoroughfare with a bus line -- in my first-ring suburb -- located less than half a mile from the city line -- buses and bus routes were few and far between.

By car, I lived 10 minutes from school, but by using public transportation it took one hour for one trip. I had to walk a half-mile to the nearest bus stop, take one bus, wait on a street corner for a second bus and then walk to the campus. The school was in the midst of moving from the city to the suburb of Amherst -- adding a third bus to my commute.

I did this every day for six years, and to this day one of my favorite presents is socks -- the warmer and fuzzier the better -- because most of the time during my college commute my feet were cold -- it snows in Buffalo.

Getting food in the suburbs was a challenge without a vehicle -- the nearest supermarket was more than a half-mile away -- but then again, getting anything that weighs more than a couple of pounds and is bulkier than a loaf of bread is a challenge -- if not impossible.

Suburban life without a car can be a lonely and isolating situation, and the lost mobility of seniors can jeopardize both physical and emotional health. It restricts access to healthcare, employment, shopping, entertainment venues, civic and social activities as well as family and friends, according to the Community Transportation Association of America.

Not only is the Buffalo area addressing the senior transportation issue, but communities nationwide have been grappling with how cash-strapped government budgets will help provide for growing transportation needs of the aging baby boomers.

Next: Communities find ways to transport seniors.

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Alex Cukan is an award-winning journalist, but she always has considered caregiving her primary job. UPI welcomes comments and questions about this column. E-mail: consumerhealth@upi.com