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Jessica Welch
  - Joined on 12-14-2007
- Joppa, Maryland
- Posts 7
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How to help Seniors Give Up Their Car Keys
Here is a great article I found online that discusses how to help a loved one give up the keys when there is a safety issue at hand:
There are few things Americans cling to more tightly than their automobiles. In our suburbanized society, the automobile is both the symbol of our individuality and freedom and our connection to the outside world. Without a car, we fear isolation and dependence. But as people age, driving can become increasingly dangerous. After teenagers, the group most likely to receive a traffic summons for running a red light is seniors. And when seniors are involved in a car accident, they are more likely to be seriously hurt. There are many factors that make it more difficult for even the most alert senior to drive safely. Depth perception and night vision decline with age, while reaction times increase. Some medications may cause drowsiness—and it can take seniors just a little longer to orient themselves when faced with a new traffic pattern. For a caregiver, the most obvious warning sign that it may be time for their loved one to give up their keys is those small dents and scrapes that indicate that their loved one is not totally in control of their vehicle. Other signs include: · Driving on the wrong side of the road or on the shoulder · Changing lanes, braking, or accelerating abruptly · Drifting into other lanes · Missing highway exits and turns · Unintentionally antagonizing other motorists · Increases in traffic tickets or warnings Taken individually, each of these symptoms may not be significant, but when they begin to add up, it’s time for you to take action.Staying Safe Behind the WheelIf you feel your loved one is driving unsafely, you have many options open to you besides insisting that they give up their keys. · Make a good-faith effort to help your loved one stay on the road. Ask them to take a refresher driving course or enroll in the AARP Driver Safety Program.
· Seek out an objective assessment of their driving abilities. A third-party opinion can provide a baseline for decision making and help make the follow-up discussions about driving less a contest of wills. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a good driver assessment questionnaire on its Web site (see below).· Agree to a set of driving restrictions. For instance, you may both decide that your loved drive only on local roads during the middle of the day, carry a cell phone with them for emergencies, and have their vehicle serviced regularly. Retiring from the RoadIf it’s clear that your loved one’s performance on the road poses a risk to themselves and others, it’s time for you to take more decisive action. There’s no getting around it, though: convincing a senior to stop driving can be difficult. You can increase the likelihood that your loved one will give up their keys of their own accord by coming to the conversation ready to help them envision a full life without a car:· Know the local transportation alternatives. Be able to demonstrate that with a little planning they will be able to use public transportation to pursue their customary round of activities.· Investigate local home-delivery services. Make a catalog of the local services that can deliver to your loved one’s home, including dry cleaning, take-out food, and groceries. · Emphasize monetary savings. Insurance, gasoline, maintenance and repair, registration and licensing can add up to several thousand dollars a year, an expense that is hard to justify if your loved one only runs errands in their car a few times a week. Keep an open mind and be flexible. For instance, some seniors may feel less of a sense of loss if they can hang on to their own car and have others use it to provide transportation. If your loved one can retain their dignity, they’re more likely to give up their keys.Web ResourceAARP offers driver safety education classes in local communities, an online driver safety course, and tests of driver safety. Visit the AARP Driver Safety Program website. Your loved one can get a better sense of whether they should stay on the road by taking the good driver assessment from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Jessica Welch, Eldercare Advisor
1-866-394-8026 jessicaw@aplaceformom.com
Jessica Welch, CSA
Eldercare Advisor
1-866-394-8026
jessicaw@aplaceformom.com
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