Five Signs Your Senior Should Stop Driving

For many people, the right to drive a car is linked to independence. So taking away a beloved parent’s or grandparent’s car keys is a big responsibility.  

And this decision should not be made lightly, given that studies show a link between depression and the loss of driving privileges.  

Most people go over a curb or swerve out of their lane on occasion. But confusion and distraction while driving can be as dangerous as all-out recklessness.  

Be on the lookout for these warning signs

Senior Care Annandale, VA: Seniors and Driving

1. Damage to her car–Inspect your senior’s car when you visit. If there are dents or scratches not accounted for, this is a sign of distracted or confused driving. 
2.  He gets lost and cannot find his way home–If your loved one calls you from a city fifty miles away and cannot remember how he got there and needs help returning home, this is a clear sign that he should not be driving.
3. Frequent violation of traffic laws–There may be no substitute for taking a ride with your senior at the wheel. This is the only way to know if he is starting up from stop signs with an oncoming car in sight, making bad turns, or failing to stay in his lane.  
4. Not seeing obstructions–Some seniors need to start wearing glasses or have their prescription updated in order to stay safe on the road. But when he still doesn’t see oncoming cars or fallen branches, it’s time to let go of the car keys.  
5. Reports from scared friends or family members–If neighbors, friends, or family members believe that your loved one is driving dangerously, you should listen and make further assessments. Home care professionals can be your eyes and ears in this situation. Combined with other red flags, these informal reports must be heeded.  

Conversations are better than demands 

It is not necessarily legal to take a senior’s car keys away without her consent. So you will want to follow guidelines. First, make sure that your fear is warranted. Sometimes a better pair of glasses or hearing aids can turn an unsafe driver into a safe one. 

Get more than one opinion. If you have started questioning your parent’s road worthiness, bring in other family members to look at the issue. Ideally, all family members agree on a course of action.  

Once you have family consensus, ask the driver to voluntarily surrender his or her keys. Be gentle and tactful, because a volunteer surrender is better than the alternative. 

If your loved one will not see reason and quit driving, you will have to ask your senior’s primary physician to make a report to the Department of Motor Vehicles. In some states, doctors are obliged to report unsafe drivers, especially if a patient has been diagnosed with dementia. If the police have issued a citation or appeared at an accident, they, too, have the power to notify DMV and have driving privileges revoked.  

Finally, surrendering the car keys should not mean that your senior loses his independence. Uber and Lyft services are easy to use and you can install those applications on your senior’s phone. Where there are no car services, home care professionals can bridge the gap by taking your senior out to do errands once or twice a week.  

If you or an aging loved-one is considering Senior Care in Annandale, VA please contact the caring staff at Thrive Health Care Services today. (703) 992-0484.