Driving Retirement in Older Adults: A Qualitative Exploration into their Plans, Feelings and Support Needs

Driving retirement is a significant life transition for older adults (aged 65 and older), which has been associated with negative psychosocial and health outcomes.

This qualitative study explores eight older adults' plans, feelings and support needs when stopping driving. After focus groups were conducted, participants were categorised according to Adler and Rottunda's (2006) groupings - Proactives, Reluctant Accepters and Resisters-to examine their nuanced perspectives. Using thematic analysis, key themes were established across groups.

Three primary factors prompted participants across all groups to begin thinking about retiring driving, including; Medical Reasons, Safety Reasons and Licencing Barriers. Feelings around driving retirement were predominately negative across groups, with exception of Acceptance, however differences between groups were observed where Proactives tended to discuss their feelings in past tense whereas Resisters discussed feelings in present tense. Using the Social Ecological Model, participants across groups highlighted the strong need to enhance support systems at interpersonal, environmental and policy levels, with a notable absence of discussions regarding individual level supports.

Findings of this study suggests that driving retirement in older adulthood may be better conceptualised as a phase-based transition, rather than categories. This phase-based approach could better inform clinicians to assist older drivers' in navigating their driving retirement transition by integrating early readiness assessments, phase-specific interventions and post-retirement emotional support. Future research should aim to further explore evidence-based interventions at the individual level that support older adult pre- and post-driving retirement to facilitate a smoother transition whilst promoting well-being.