Overview
Elin Schold Davis has coordinated the American Occupational Therapy Association’s (AOTA) Older Driver Initiative since its inception in 2003. She is a registered/licensed occupational therapist (OTR/L) and a certified driving rehabilitation specialist (CDRS). Her experience in long term care, adult rehabilitation, minor brain injury program development, interactive driving simulation and driving rehabilitation led her to AOTA to engage in initiatives to build capacity to address driving and community mobility as an instrumental activity of daily living.
Ms. Schold Davis has authored articles and lectured nationally and internationally on the topics of cognitive rehabilitation, driving rehabilitation and community mobility. She has worked extensively with practitioners, partners and stakeholders committed to building a network of services. She serves as AOTA’s administrator of the CarFit collaboration between AAA, AARP and AOTA, is a member of the editorial board for The American Geriatric Society’s Clinician’s Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers (Edition 4, 2019) and serves as a subject matter expert to ChORUS, a national clearing house for older driver resources sponsored by NHTSA and the Federal Highway Administration.
Healthcare providers involved in the care of older adults need office-based tools to screen for medical and functional issues which may affect driving safety, assess impairment and driving risk, intervene to optimize functional ability through treatment, refer appropriately for specialized care and driving rehabilitation, and offer support through resources and counseling for planning transition from driving if necessary. The Clinician’s Guide, published by the American Geriatrics Society in cooperation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is designed to offer a wealth of resources to address these needs.
Come learn from a member of the Guide’s editorial board about what the Guide offers and how to use it! The session will include opportunities for questions and discussion.
Intended audience: Health care providers involved in the care of drivers aged 55 and older; students in health care and allied health professions.
