A Difficult Conversation – Driving With Dementia
Caregiving Tips and Resources
Taking away the keys to a car or a driver's license to someone with the early stages of dementia may seem abrupt, extreme, disrespectful or punitive. Read these tips to start that conversation with your loved one.
There are an estimated 5 million people in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with some form of dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common form. If you have a loved one who has been diagnosed with dementia, you’ll struggle with a number of challenges as a caregiver—medical, legal, financial, and daily care. You will also have to decide when that person should no longer drive. Most information about patients with dementia warns against driving. Even in the early stages of dementia or mild cognitive impairment, one or more functions of the brain can be affected and pose a risk when driving. For instance, reaction time can be slowed. Not only is there mechanical confusion to worry about, but there is also the possibility of getting lost. On top of all that, there are non-dementia related issues such as hearing, vision, and depth perception.
Caregiving Tips and Resources
CONVERSATIONS
As a caregiver, you may know that the best decision would be for your loved one to stop driving, but how do you even begin to have that conversation? And how do you convince mom or dad to stop driving when they don’t see or understand the problem. It’s not unusual for a parent to say something like, “I’ve been driving longer than you’ve been alive. I do just fine.” Anger or frustration may result on both sides from these conversations, but often there is no immediate resolution. This is a conversation that neither party wants to have, and there really are no winners. When faced with this situation, families need to consider these key points:
- Assessing driving abilities
- Open lines of communication
- Providing compassion and support
- Knowing when it’s time to quit driving
To learn more about these topics, and what the warning signs are for drivers with dementia, download A Difficult Conversation – Driving with Dementia.
Take the time to discuss and prepare for this event with your loved one, and if necessary, enlist help from your physician or other healthcare professionals.