I don’t know about you, but I regularly encounter drivers who are on their phones or in such a hurry that they blow through red lights and stop signs without a pause. This has elevated my concern for seniors on the road because their reaction time has more than likely slowed with age.
Considering April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, this week, I want to offer some helpful advice regarding what to look for when it’s time to take the keys away from your senior loved one in Driving Retirement Part 1.
Over the many years that Home Helpers has provided in-home care for seniors in the Clearwater area, we’ve had a number of senior clients who were no longer able to drive due to recurring accidents, visual or hearing impairment, cognitive decline, physical constraints, and even side effects from medications.
In as much as they did not want to relinquish their driving privileges, most seniors understood the necessity of having someone else provide transportation assistance to preserve their safety as well as the safety of others on the road.
Are you worried about your loved one's driving? Many people wait to have the tough conversation about taking away their senior loved one's keys, and many times waiting too long can result in an accident and an injury to your loved one or someone else.
So, when is it time to take the keys from your senior loved one?
- It depends on their physical and mental health. You should carefully observe if they’re having difficulties at home. You don’t have to focus on the car at first. If they are experiencing difficulties reading or seeing things, visual impairment may be problematic, especially in a motor vehicle! In addition, Seniors often start experiencing difficulties when they're driving at night, so they'll give up night driving first. Has this been a concern? Are they misplacing their keys in the house? Are they becoming a little more forgetful? These are all the things you want to look for.
- How is their driving performance? You may want to go for a ride with them. This can be scary sometimes, but you must go for a ride with them and see how they're doing. What is their reaction time? What is their ability to handle the navigation of roadways, distracted drivers, detours, lane closures, and such? Also, you might want to walk around their car and look for scratches and new dents that have appeared that weren't there the last time you looked. Many times, I hear seniors say, “Well, I only go to Publix, I only go around the corner. I don't go far.” However, accidents do happen close to home. Moreover, they may not tell you, but many times seniors get lost, even though they've gone a short distance. Something may look unfamiliar, and the next thing you know, they've driven several miles out of their way just because they got lost.
- Talk to their doctor. Ask your senior loved one’s medical professional about their thoughts concerning your senior loved one driving. Request they perform mobility and eye exams, just to make sure that your aging loved one is safe to drive.
- Consider driver's education for seniors. Check in your local community to see what resources are available. I'm sure there are driver education classes for seniors to sharpen their driving skills available through AARP or your local DMV. This may give them an opportunity to prove to you that maybe they can still drive.
Stay tuned for next week’s blog, Driving Retirement Part 2 – Having the Tough Conversation About Taking the Keys Away.
For more help on this topic and information regarding home care services for your senior loved one, please visit our website, Home Helpers Home Care Clearwater.
A compassionate Home Helpers® caregiver will happily provide transportation assistance for seniors to make sure they promptly arrive for doctor appointments and health screenings, visits to the hair salon, the grocery store, the pharmacy, and just about anywhere they need to go!
I gladly offer a FREE Consultation at your convenience to assess specific needs and match the perfect caregiver to make life easier and provide more peace of mind for everyone.
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We proudly serve male and female seniors in Clearwater, Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Safety Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Holiday, New Port Richey, Trinity, Port Richey, Hudson, and surrounding areas. Home Helpers®…we are Making Life Easier® 727.942.2539