The growing number of older drivers and the complexities of driving conditions today have increased the concerns many Americans have about the safety of a loved one behind the wheel. The decision about when to stop driving is obviously a difficult one for older people to make on their own.
If you have concerns about an older family member driving, you may need to have the difficult discussion about no longer driving. When discussing this sensitive topic, acknowledge that driving is very important to them but the safety of them and others on the road is more important. E ncourage them to make an appropriate decision. If they are resistant to reason, you may discuss the issue with their physician to find out if there are medical reasons that should be reported.
Watch for changes in these areas to help decide if it’s time to consider giving up the keys:
Mental: reaction time is one of the most crucial functions of safe driving. Reaction time does slow with age, but accommodations such as increasing the distance between other cars may help.
Vision: Good vision is essential to safe driving. An older person may notice difficulties focusing on objects and switching focus from near to far. The ability to see fine detail may diminish. Peripheral vision may also change with age. This is significant, since most of what we see when we drive is first seen peripherally. Driving at night may become more difficult due to sight issues since as we get older. We need more light to see clearly and the ability for the eye to adjust from dark to light slows, so glare from oncoming headlights may be a hazard.
Hearing: some hearing loss is common among people age 65 and older. The ability to discern high-pitched sounds is usually affected first, which means that warnings from horns, sirens and whistles may not be heard.
If your older loved one stops driving, help them find alternative means of transportation such as busses, dial a ride, taxis, rideshare. Offer to help them run errands to make sure they are still getting groceries and medications, and meeting their social needs. Consider home delivery services offered by some grocery stores and pharmacies. An in-home caregiver can also be a solution to provide incidental transportation as well as assist with a wide range of non-medical needs in their own home.
For more information, please call Visiting Angels at 661-263-2273.