Tailoring age-friendly technology-enabled transportation service solutions in rural communities

Rural older adults requiring transportation assistance represent an historically underserved demographic, who often have greater needs for transportation services but may face challenges in benefiting from the latest transportation technological developments. This paper presents one of the first studies that aims to investigate the effective technology-enabled solutions that can cater to the diverse needs of rural older adults throughout the entire service process. The study first uses latent class analysis (LCA) structure model to identify three distinct groups of older adults with varying attitudes toward information and transportation technologies: (1) Class 1 - techchallenged, moderate transportation tech adopters, (2) Class 2 - tech-savvy, modest transportation tech adopters, and (3) Class 3 - tech-savvy, enthusiastic transportation tech adopters. The estimated results from the LCA membership model demonstrated that Class 1 appear to constitute a more vulnerable population compared to their counterparts in Class 2 and Class 3, as they tend to be characterized by older age, lower household income, living alone, and more dependence on mobility aids. The study then delves into qualitative insights through focus group discussions with individuals balanced from these identified groups, revealing ten critical elements that encompass the entirety of service reservation, recommendation, scheduling, and reception. The findings suggest several tech-based solutions, including: (1) the establishment of a regional "one call does it all" center, (2) the implementation of a centralized ride matching and recommendation system, (3) the introduction of an automated scheduling system aligned with healthcare services, and (4) the development of a user-friendly portable device for service reception. These solutions aim to empower both technology and transportation service professionals in delivering age-friendly rural transportation services customized to the unique needs and limitations of older adults.