AOTA’s Older Driver Safety Awareness Week is coming: December 2-6, 2019. We invite all OT practitioners to get involved to help raise awareness of how the profession promotes community mobility for older adults.
NEW THIS YEAR: In lieu of a Twitter chat that was historically used by AOTA’s partner organizations, AOTA will instead post a daily focus question intended to welcome input from ALL who have an interest in supporting older drivers and their families. Posts will appear on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook this year and will follow #ODSAW19.
To participate:
- Follow @AOTAInc on Twitter, @aotainc on Instagram and search #ODSAW19. On Facebook, you can simply “like” AOTA’s page to see the posts.
- When you see the day’s focus question (posted each morning):
- On Twitter: Retweet the post with your comment and add your answer. Be sure to include #ODSAW19.
- On Instagram and Facebook: Comment on the post with your answer.
Answers to the questions can include your experiences or AOTA’s resources that promote community mobility. The Older Driver Safety Awareness Week page on aota.org has a LOT of information; here are a few of our favorites (with shortened links) for you to share:
- Older Driver Safety Awareness Week webpage: aota.org/driver-safety
- AOTA’s Tip Sheet: “Keeping Older Drivers Safe on the Road” (Conversation tips for adult children of older drivers): http://ow.ly/Hgz650xc0c8
- AOTA’s Tip Sheet: “Driving Safely As You Age” (For older adults): http://ow.ly/u9pA50xc0sX
- AOTA & AAA’s Driver Planning Agreement planning tool: http://ow.ly/vjJP50xc0mH
Daily focus questions:
Monday, 12/2/19: What are some conditions to watch for and how do they affect driving?
Tuesday, 12/3/19: What tips can you offer to start the conversation with a loved one?
Wednesday, 12/4/19: How can you (or an expert/resource from your organization) help older adults to feel more confident in their home, getting in and out of a vehicle, or in their community?
Thursday, 12/5/19: What are some features/technology that older drivers may use to compensate for aging and/or medically-related changes?
Friday, 12/6/19: What tips do you have to help older adults feel more comfortable utilizing these services?
We hope you’ll join us in this virtual effort to promote OT! You can craft responses to the questions now and save them in a Word document or notepad first, and then simply copy and paste into your social media platform of choice during the week of December 2.
If you have any questions, contact me at kriley@aota.org.