Transportation-Disadvantaged Seniors: Efforts to Enhance Senior Mobility Could Benefit from Additional Guidance and Information
GAO-04-971
Published: Aug 30, 2004. Publicly Released: Sep 16, 2004.
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Highlights
The U.S. population is aging, and access to transportation, via automobile or other modes, is critical to helping individuals remain independent as they age. Various federal programs provide funding for transportation services for "transportation-disadvantaged" seniors--those who cannot drive or have limited their driving and who have an income constraint, disability, or medical condition that limits their ability to travel. For those transportation-disadvantaged seniors, GAO was asked to identify (1) federal programs that address their mobility issues, (2) the extent to which these programs meet their mobility needs, (3) program practices that enhance their mobility and the cost-effectiveness of service delivery, and (4) obstacles to addressing their mobility needs and strategies for overcoming those obstacles.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Human Services | To help enhance transportation-disadvantaged seniors' mobility by improving available information and guidance, the Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct the Administrator, Administration on Aging, in order to improve the value and consistency of information obtained from area agencies on aging on the extent to which transportation-disadvantaged seniors' mobility needs are being met, to develop guidance for assessing such needs by expanding the scope of work in the administration's planned evaluation of the Grants for Supportive Services and Senior Centers (Title III-B) program to include gathering and analyzing information on (1) definitions and measures of need; (2) the range of methodologies that area agencies on aging use for assessing seniors' need for services, including transportation, and unmet needs; (3) leading practices identified in the needs assessments methodologies used by area agencies on aging; and (4) the kinds of guidance that area agencies on aging want from the administration and the states to help them perform their required needs assessments. | The Administration on Aging (AoA) took a number of steps to expand the scope of work for their planned evaluation of Title III-B. First, they decided to gather and analyze additional information on needs assessments for transportation, including (1) the extent to which area agencies on aging (AAA) and state units on aging conduct needs assessments to determine what needs elderly participants have for home care and transportation services, (2) best practices in the provision of home care and transportation services to AAA participants, and (3) the extent to which results have been achieved. Secondly, AoA officials said they are also taking a more comprehensive approach to their evaluation... that considers the importance of an integrated assessment of Older Americans Act (OAA) supportive services, with transportation as one important component of these services. Their study thus far demonstrates that transportation is one of the top three OAA services in both funding and total service units, second only to meals. The grassroots planning process for OAA supportive services instituted in the aging network through the Older Americans Act includes significant effort associated with gathering information on needs through town meetings and, for many states, through questionnaires. Finally, new AOA planning guidance complements this process and an upcoming transportation toolkit will provide information on best practices that will aid states in coordinating transportation services.
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| Department of Health and Human Services | To help enhance transportation-disadvantaged seniors' mobility by improving available information and guidance, the Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct the Administrator, Administration on Aging, in order to improve the value and consistency of information obtained from area agencies on aging on the extent to which transportation-disadvantaged seniors' mobility needs are being met, to develop guidance for assessing such needs by using the results of the administration's evaluation of the Title III-B program, and input from the Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility of other federal agencies that fund transportation services for seniors, to develop and disseminate guidance to assist state and local agencies on (1) methods of assessing seniors' mobility needs and (2) the suggested or preferred method for collecting information on gaps in transportation services. | Administration on Aging (AoA) officials have taken numerous steps to address this recommendation. According to these officials, the Title III-B evaluation was finalized in February 2008 and received final clearance for dissemination. The knowledge gained from this report may be used to develop transportation-related questions for future national surveys to evaluate consumer perceptions of services, unmet needs, and perceived gaps in transportation services. Meanwhile, AoA will post the final report on its web site and provide technical assistance to those implementing its findings. Between 2006 and 2008, AoA also issued a number of guidance and other documents designed to help state and...
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| Department of Health and Human Services | To help enhance transportation-disadvantaged seniors' mobility by improving available information and guidance, the Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct the Administrator, Administration on Aging, in order to help address the obstacles that seniors, their caregivers, and service providers face in locating information on available services and promising practices, to take the lead in developing a plan--in consultation with members of the Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility--for publicizing the administration's Web site and Eldercare Locator Service as central forums for sharing information on senior transportation through workshops, annual meetings, and other outreach opportunities with seniors, their caregivers, and service providers. The plan should include steps for reaching out to seniors and providers who do not use or have access to the Internet to increase awareness of information available in hard copy or other format. | The Administration on Aging (AoA) developed a multi-faceted marketing campaign to broaden awareness and visibility of the Eldercare Locator Service, with emphasis on outreach to special target populations, including minority, low-income, and limited-English speaking elders. Newspaper articles targeted to local media are distributed several times a year to over 7000 daily, weekly, and monthly periodicals. Promotional materials, including an informational brochure, posters, and media kits are distributed to increase awareness. In addition, staff at the Eldercare Locator is working to increase public awareness of the Locator through strategic partnerships with a myriad of groups, including...
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| Department of Health and Human Services | To help enhance transportation-disadvantaged seniors' mobility by improving available information and guidance, the Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct the Administrator, Administration on Aging, in order to help address the obstacles that seniors, their caregivers, and service providers face in locating information on available services and promising practices, to work with members of the Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility to consolidate information about services provided through the participating agencies' programs and to establish links from their programs' Web sites to the administration's transportation Web site to help ensure that other agencies (such as local transit agencies) are aware of, and have access to, such information. | The Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility, of which the Administration on Aging (AoA) is a member, has inventoried, reviewed, and catalogued current educational materials (fact sheets, FAQ, talking points, videos, etc.) to further identify education and outreach needs and options. Coordinating Council members are also expected to create transportation web pages and link them to the Council's new web site (www.unitedweride.gov), which AoA has done. The Coordinating Council's site contains a link to AoA's main web page. The site also includes descriptions of each federal program that can be used to fund transportation services for disadvantaged populations, including seniors, and...
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Cost effectiveness analysisDisadvantaged personsElderly personsFederal aid for transportationstate relationsLocally administered programsParatransit servicesPeople with disabilitiesPublic assistance programsTransportation statistics