Alzheimer's steals the skills needed to drive. How to keep your loved one safe.
Driving is a powerful symbol of competence and independence — besides being a routine part of adult life. But the focused concentration and quick reaction time needed for safe driving tend to decline as you get older. Alzheimer's disease accelerates this process dramatically.
When to stop driving
Because Alzheimer's diminishes reasoning skills, it often is up to caregivers to determine when their loved ones become unsafe behind the wheel. Warning signs of unsafe driving include:
- Forgetting how to locate familiar places
- Failing to observe traffic signals
- Making slow or poor decisions
- Problems with changing lanes or making turns
- Hitting the curb while driving
- Driving at an inappropriate speed
- Becoming angry and confused while driving
- Confusing the brake and gas pedal
Pre-emptive measures as the disease progresses
Even if your loved one willingly gives up driving at first, it may become an issue later on, as his or her understanding of the risks diminishes. Here are some strategies for keeping your loved one out of the driver's seat.
- Get a note from the doctor. Sometimes it helps if an authority figure — physician, lawyer, insurance agent — tells your loved one to stop driving. Having something in writing can be a useful reminder.
- Control access to the car and keys. In many cases, it's a simple matter of "Out of sight, out of mind." Parking the car around the corner may be enough. Some caregivers sell the family car and buy one that's a different color so that the person with Alzheimer's thinks it belongs to the neighbors. If your loved one insists on carrying a set of car keys, you can replace them with keys that don't work.
- Disable the car. Removing a battery cable will prevent the car from starting. Or a mechanic can install a "kill switch" that must be engaged before the car can start. Although this may seem extreme, the consequences of having someone on the road with dementia can be devastating.
- Ease the transition. Arrange for alternative transportation, perhaps via the city bus service or a senior van route. You may be able to establish a payment account with a taxi service so that your loved one won't have to handle money. Many items, such as groceries, meals and prescriptions, can be delivered. Some barbers and hairdressers make house calls.
Last Updated: 05/06/2008
