Dementia & Driving Resource Center (Part 1)

Reprinted from: https://www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-dementia-and-driving.asp?WT.mc_id=enews2018_02_27&utm_source=enews-aff-28&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=enews-2018-02-27

Signs of unsafe driving

Determining when someone can no longer safely drive requires careful observation by family and caregivers.

The following list provides warning signs that it's time to stop driving:

• Forgetting how to locate familiar places
• Failing to observe traffic signs
• Making slow or poor decisions in traffic
• Driving at an inappropriate speed
• Becoming angry or confused while driving
• Hitting curbs
• Using poor lane control
• Making errors at intersections
• Confusing the brake and gas pedals
• Returning from a routine drive later than usual
• Forgetting the destination you are driving to during the trip

Driving demands quick reaction time and fast decision making — because of this, a person with Alzheimer's will eventually become unable to drive. Dealing with the issue early on can help ease the transition.

Having the conversation
Losing the independence driving provides can be upsetting. It is important to acknowledge a person's feelings and preserve his or her independence, while ensuring the person's safety and the safety of others.

Starting the conversation

• Initiate a dialogue to express your concerns. Stress the positive and offer alternatives.
• Address resistance while reaffirming your unconditional love and support.
• Appeal to the person's sense of responsibility.
• Reinforce medical diagnoses and directives. Ask the physician to write a letter stating that the person must not drive. Or ask the physician to write a prescription that says, "No driving." You can then use the letter or prescription to reinforce the conversation.
• Consider an evaluation by an objective third party.
• Understand that this may be the first of many conversations about driving

When the conversation does not go well
Some people give up driving easily, but for others this transition can be very difficult. Be prepared for the person to become angry with you, due to the memory and insight issues that are part of Alzheimer's.

• Be patient and firm. Demonstrate understanding and empathy.
• Acknowledge the pain of this change and appeal to the person's desire to act responsibly.
• Ask a respected family authority figure or your attorney to reinforce the message about not driving.
• If the conversation does not go well, do not blame yourself. The disease can impair insight and judgment, making it difficult for people to understand that their driving is no longer safe. Also the disease can cause mood and personality changes that make reactions more pronounced.
• As a last resort, take away the car keys, disable the car or remove the car completely. When you do any of these things, be sure to provide safe, reliable alternative transportation.