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To
Drive Or Not To Drive, That Is The Question!!!!
By Cynthia Ballentine, MSOT, OTR/L
"My
dad drove me to the store the other day and his driving really scared
me. What can I do?" Driving is one of the most significant areas of
independence and the threat of losing this independence is very scary to
the individual and makes this subject difficult to address for the
caregiver.
As
a concerned caregiver one of the first things to do is assess your loved
one's skills by:
-
Review
the older person's recent driving history. Have there been a lot of
minor accidents, are they running into the garage door, have there
been tickets for moving violations, etc…
-
As
the caregiver, have you ridden with your older loved one recently
and were you comfortable with their driving? Often family members
will say, "Oh, dad's not allowed to drive the grandkids any
more" or " Nobody will ride with mom because it's too
scary"
-
Review
your loved ones medications for possible driving related side
effects (i.e. may cause sleepiness or dizziness). If possible, ask
to be present when the older adult has a doctor's visit. Ask the
doctor about any possible medical conditions that might affect
driving like dementia, a stroke, or depression, as well as to report
any concerning driving events to the physician that might otherwise
not be mentioned.
-
Have
your older loved one's driving skills assessed by professionals.
There are several driving assessment programs in the area. They are
usually performed by an occupational therapist.
If
you feel that your older loved one's driving skills have declined and
that it is not safe for them to continue driving you may be able to help
persuade the older driver to stop or reduce their driving by:
-
Enlisting
the help of an authority figure: Many older adults may respond to
recommendations by healthcare professionals, law enforcement
officials, and Department's of Motor Vehicles when considering
whether to stop or limit driving due to impairment.
-
Family
caregivers can offer a range of transportation options to the older
adult while showing the costs and benefits of each. This may
encourage them to choose lower-cost alternatives such as car
pooling, public transportation, or taxi service. Be sure to include
the cost of insurance, gas, and repairs when calculating the cost of
owning a car. · Have some solutions for your older loved one's
transportation needs. Researching various transportation options,
exploring them, and slowly replacing them for private driving may be
more helpful than just suggesting that the person should no longer
drive.
-
Families
can encourage the older driver to voluntarily take a refresher
course offered by AARP, 55 alive or their insurance company, which
may help improve current driving skills.
A
geriatric care manager can assist you by researching alternative
transportation in your older loved one's community and/or get you
connected to driving assessment programs. If you are interested in
getting more information on older adult drivers please feel free to
contact St. Andrew's At Home Services at 314-726-5766.
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Did You Know?
It is important to get plenty of sleep, adequate nutrition and of course
exercise but energy is more than physical .
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