Tips & Strategies Stop Signs and Turns: Enhancing Driver Safety

摘要

A diagnosis of dementia has a profound effect on caregivers who need to respond to challenges associated with progressive cognitive decline. One of the most difficult decisions that caregivers face involves making decisions about when the person should stop driving. Dementia, even in the early stages, can impair cognitive and functional skills that are required for safe driving.1 Older adults with dementia are more likely to drive off the road, drive slower than the posted speed limit, apply less break pressure when attempting to stop, and make slower turns. As many as 30% of individuals with cognitive impairment continue to drive. Because driving is closely associated with personal identity, societal roles, quality of life, and independence, many older adults resist giving up driving. This is especially true for older adults who may be coping with other age- and cognition-related problems that are impacting their quality of life. Conversations on restriction of driving, whether self-imposed or mandated, can be emotionally charged and lead to isolation and depression.