Knowing When To Take The Keys Away From The Senior In Your Life
As you watch your mom or dad age, you’ve probably noticed certain things he or she can’t or won’t do anymore. Things they always loved to do, and now simply can’t manage it. While many things are hard to lose or give up, one of the hardest is the keys to the car.
Seniors want to still be able to get around town without assistance, and enjoy the feeling of being independent. But there may come a time when having the senior in your life out on the road isn’t safe anymore- for themselves and for the people around them.
While it may be one of the hardest things you’ll ever have to do, it’s important to keep an eye on how well they are doing. Age is not an indicator. Some people can drive well into their seventies, eighties and beyond, while others cannot or should not.
Statistics show that the older population is far more likely to receive traffic citations for the simple things you do every day – turning improperly, running red lights and stop signs, and failing to yield. They are more likely than all other age groups to be involved in multi-vehicle accidents, and are far more likely to be seriously hurt as the result of an accident. Fatal crash rates rise dramatically when a person reaches their 70th birthday.
As your parent continues to age, watch for signs they may be having trouble behind the wheel.
A simple way to check up on your senior’s driving abilities is to look at their vehicle. Are there new scratches on the paint, or dents in the bumper? This may be an indication of how your loved one is performing on the road.
When you head out for a day of fun, don’t automatically take the wheel. Instead, ask your mom or dad to drive and watch carefully how they handle certain situations. Do you notice them slowing down for green lights, or turning in front of other cars? Do they get confused on how to get to where you are going, even if they’ve been there before?
If your loved one has dementia or Alzheimer’s, you may find them continually finding reasons to drive, even if you’ve told them not to, or if they have no reason to drive. Or perhaps they’ve even gotten lost while out driving in a familiar area, which may turn into a frightening situation for both you and your parent. These are warning signs that you may want to think about continuing to let him or her drive.
Taking away your loved one’s car keys isn’t an easy choice, and for a senior, you are not only taking away their keys, but much of their freedom as well. But the decision to keep them off of the road may result in saving lives- including that of your loved one.
