Does your retirement age or older mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, etc. still drive? More importantly, do they still drive well? Maybe they never drove all that well to begin with! Regardless, there does come a time in the life of almost everyone when driving isn’t such a great idea anymore. It’s hard to address this problem because people tend to feel less independent if they can’t drive. The loss of independence is a very real problem among older adults.
But the question remains, nonetheless… when should the elderly stop driving? It may be time for your aging loved ones to stop driving if some of the things listed below exist.
Health Conditions Are Changing
People have health emergencies behind the wheel far too frequently. Unfortunately, this not only endangers themselves, but other drivers and pedestrians, as well. The driving ability of your loved ones may be impacted by a particular health condition. It might be time for them to give up their keys if one or more of these common conditions exist:
- Vision changes
Vision loss can be caused by glaucoma. Objects might not be seen by drivers suffering from this. Macular degeneration is another problem among older adults. It’s harder to see pedestrians, traffic signals, road signs, etc.
- Arthritis
Range of motion and flexibility are required for driving. Stiff joints are a common problem in older adults with arthritis. They may have trouble quickly reacting to highway hazards, looking over their shoulder, and more.
- Dementia
Driving will become unsafe if cognitive changes take place in your loved ones courtesy of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia forms. They could get lost, exercise poor judgment, or forget where they’re going.
State of Mind Is Affecting Driving
You have to be in the right frame of mind to drive safely. If your mind is elsewhere, or if you’re feeling a little off, you may not drive as well as you could otherwise. If the following are present states of mind for your loved ones, their driving could be affected:
- Confusion
- Anger
- Anxiety
Driving Skills Aren’t What They Used To Be
Ride along with your loved ones to assess their driving skills. Check out how they perform behind the wheel during busy times and even at night. Unsafe older adult driving signs include the following:
- Bumping into things and riding up on the curb
- Problems backing out of a parking spot or difficulty pulling into one
- Extreme nervousness could present itself as pressing on the gas pedal while riding the brake
- Pausing too long when merging, at red lights or stop signs
- Lane drifting
- Driving far below or far above the posted speed limit
“Connections Transportation” at Blue Ridge
Your loved one won’t have to worry about losing the ability to drive when they reside at Blue Ridge Assisted Living and Memory Care community. We offer not only Connections Transportation, but we provide Expressions Concierge service. With these two offered amenities, your loved ones will no longer bemoan the fact that they can’t jump in the car and drive.
There are, in fact, numerous amenities and perks to residing in our community. Contact us today if you’d like to find out more or, better yet, schedule a tour.
