A Place for Mom's Family

We have a terrific resource in the Capital Region of New York - an occupational therapist who is a certified driving instructor and driving rehabilitation specialist. With a written prescription from a physician, he will perform a comprehensive clinical and on-road evaluation of the individual's ability to drive safely. He then sends the report to their physician. 

A third party objective evaluation is an effective way to circumvent the dynamics of adult children and/or physicians having to address the sensitive issue of driving.   

A third party assessment can be vital part of the process in getting a senior into a community.  If your loved one is suffering any type of memory loss or mental disease such as depression, anxiety, ect. it's important to have a specialist evaluate and stabilize that person prior to moving.  The could decrease your care rates in the homes once they are stable & potentially ease the transition for the resident. 

 We have several Geriatric Psychiatric Hospitals in the Atlanta area that offer in patient programs.  The costs are usually covered by Medicare.

Certainly it is a plus to have such a resource - and by all means, use it.

But I think the best comment about determining whether Mom should continue to drive came from one of my Community Relations Directors. Now, this lady has seen the elephant; she has vast experience, states her truth plainly ... and is a delight to be with, to boot.

She says, "YOU have to be the objective evaluator. You have to take yourself - and your family member - out of the picture. You have to look dispassionately and determine: 'Is it safe for this individual to drive? Would you want to be driving on the same street as this individual?' And then you have to have the fortitude - perhaps spiced by savvy, perhaps not - to implement that decision.

This logic applies to so much in this emotionally charged arena of caring for a parent. Easy? No. Simple. Not easy.

By all means, use all the resources at your disposal: Third party evaluators, State License Bureaus, friends, clergy ...  But, in the end, it's you.

You know. So take the necessary steps, whichever way you determine. And save both you and them the worry ... and possibly the guilt over something that could have been avoided. Take the steps to keep them - and others - safe.