Transportation Needs of Community-living Older People in Sydney

Objectives: To assess difficulty of access to both private and public transport experienced by older people living in the community in Sydney, to identify demographic and disability-related risk factors for poor access to transport, and to gauge the extent to which transport needs were met by assistance from relatives and friends. Method: An interview survey of a random sample of 620 people aged 75 years and older living in the community was conducted in the inner western suburbs of Sydney between August 1991 and September 1993. Questions covered demographic background, self-perceived disability, difficulty of access to transport, and assistance given by relatives and friends. Results: Slightly over half of the respondents said that access to private transport was difficult or impossible for them; one-third said that using public transport was difficult; 29% had difficulty with both forms of transport; yet only a quarter received help from relatives or friends. Fifteen per cent of all respondents were transport deprived in that they found access to both forms of transport difficult but did not receive any assistance. In general, the severely disabled were not significantly at risk of transport deprivation. Conclusions: There was a sizeable group of older people living in the community for whom access to transport posed considerable difficulties and who received no transport assistance from relatives or friends. Further research is needed on the impact of transport deprivation and the extent to which this is ameliorated by formal services.