Funding from the Optimal Aging Institute, Wood County Safe Communities will reach Mature Drivers by conducting Senior Safety Events in Wood County during the grant period.  These Senior Safety Events will provide education and awareness to Mature Drivers in Wood County.

Car Fit 1:1 inspection for the mature driver were provided to offer tips and adjustments on 13 points in the vehicle for the driver.  Car Canes were provided to those who qualified based on the 1:1 evaluation. This tool fits securely into the door latch and acts as a second handle for mature drivers to enter and exit the car safely. 

Twenty-five quantitative surveys were completed by community-dwelling older adults who receive home delivered meals (HDM). Demographic information provided by the initial twenty-five participants indicated an age range of 64-100 years, 92% identified as female, 96% identified as White with the remaining identifying as Pennsylvania Dutch, 44% reported being widowed, 64% reported living alone, and 76% reported receiving HDM every day.

Moving forward, fourteen of the initial twenty-five participants agreed to participate in the second part of the research study: An additional in-depth, semi-structured interview, which was conducted by the grant recipient. Interviews were recorded on the grant recipient’s laptop through Canvas studio, after which the transcripts were edited for accuracy, and six themes were found using gerunding and Braun and Clarke’s 2008 qualitative thematic analysis method. The six themes found were (1) Chronic Conditions, (2) Technology Concerns, (3) Religion and Spirituality, (4) Family Involvement, (5) Impact of COVID-19, and (6) HDM Concerns.

Research has demonstrated that relationships are important in the lives of older women. Fifteen women between the ages of 64-86 participated in interviews about their lives and relationships across the life course. In the interviews, women talked about their family of origin, friendships, romantic relationships, and their children and grandchildren. They explained how their relationships developed across the life course and how they have maintained their relationships, including how COVID-19 affected their maintenance behaviors. In the interviews, women constructed narratives that explained who they are as individuals and who they are in relationships. Through a poetic analysis of the interviews, resilience stood out as an overarching theme across the stories from women of different ages, marital statuses, economic backgrounds, and current and former occupations. Many women spoke of growing up in poor, rural areas and finding the strength to build a better life for themselves. There were stories of abuse, both in their family of origin and in chosen partners. Narratives included many instances of loss and hardships through caregiving, deaths of friends and relatives, and dissolution of relationships. Throughout it all, these women claimed resilience brought about through their own strength and determination and through relationships with people who supported them, mentored them, and built them up.