Navigating the Question of Driving with Your Senior
Driving is a big topic and it needs to be addressed with your senior as soon as you start to feel concerned about the situation. If you’re noticing that your elderly family member isn’t driving as safely as she used to, it’s time to have the talk.
Get Some Observational Time In
When did you last observe your senior and how she drives? It may have been a while, which is not all that uncommon. But if you’re going to talk about your concerns regarding her ability to drive, you need to have some data. The best way to do this is to simply ride along with your aging family member. Pay attention to how she’s driving and to how she approaches the entire experience. If she refuses to drive with you in the car with her, there may be a bigger reason for that.
Check out the Car Itself
You probably aren’t in the habit of examining your senior’s car with a magnifying glass, but you don’t have to go that far. What you do need to consider is taking a quick look at the car on a regular basis. Get to know the little dings and issues that it has now so that you can recognize new marks and problems when they do pop up.
Request Your Senior’s Driving Record
In some states, you may be able to request a copy of your elderly family member’s driving record. If you have a power of attorney, this may be easier for you to do. What her driving record helps you to see is whether there are any accidents or moving violations recorded that you didn’t know about before requesting the report. If you’re not able to request a copy of her driving record, another option is to look at her car insurance documents. Premiums tend to be much higher for someone whose driving record is
Talk to Her Doctor
Your elderly family member’s doctor can give you even more insights into her ability to continue to drive. Express your concerns and see how that matches up with what her doctor has to say. Her doctor may want to test her hearing and her vision regularly. There may be some other tests that help her doctor to feel more comfortable about allowing her to drive, too.
One of the biggest reasons that your senior might resist talking about driving with you involves the fact that she doesn’t want to lose her independence and her ability to go where she wants. If you come to her with a solution, like having elderly care providers handle the driving for her, she may be more amenable to talking about what’s going on.
If You Or An Aging Loved One Are Considering Hiring Elderly Care in South Pasadena, FL, Please Contact The Caring Staff At Assisting Hands Home Care Today! 727-748-4211.
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Becky Moultrie is Owner and Administrator of Assisting Hands Home Care Serving Pinellas. Guided by a motto to Do Good with Love, she’s well positioned to do just that at Assisting Hands. She has a passion for helping families keep seniors and those who are diabled happy and healthy at home. She serves on a number of boards in Pinellas County including the Pinellas Park Gateway Chamber and Better Living Seniors (BLS), leading the Membership Committee. Annually, she hosts a Silver Santa Party, collecting donations for nearly 100 low income seniors in the county. She attends Blessed Sacrament Church, Seminole where she is an Ascribed Member of the Rosminian Order. When not busy Doing Good in the community, Becky is at home with her husband David & their 4 children, tending to their beehives and digging in the garden.
