Comfort Keepers Can Help with Transportation in Lubbock, TX

Caregivers Can Help Seniors and Their Families Address Concerns About Elderly Driving

Sometimes it’s hard for adult children with senior parents to see the signs that it’s time for a parent to stop driving. But seniors often keep driving even after they should stop because they don’t want to give up their independence. They might downplay or dismiss any problems that they think might stop them from driving.

The issue with knowing when to take away the keys is that it is often sudden and hard to notice. There might be incidents, close calls, or violations that can signal a problem, but ultimately, it’s hard to tell. Senior caregivers can help you figure out when it’s time for your parent or senior loved one to stop driving. Because caregivers are with your senior loved one frequently, they can document any signs of impairment or problems that need to be addressed when it comes to your senior loved one driving.

Side effects caused by medication can also impair driving, ranging from drowsiness to blurred vision. Some medications can even zap the focus of your loved one and leave them distracted on the road.

Vision is one of the main areas that negatively impact driving. Aging often impairs peripheral vision and focus. Seniors are also more likely to get cataracts, glaucoma, or other ocular diseases.

Hearing loss also plays a large role, as one-third of elderly drivers have hearing loss. This can affect the ability to hear horns, screeching tires, sirens, and other sounds that alert someone to potential danger.

Nobody wants to take away the car keys from their loved one, but it’s necessary to act before your loved one becomes a danger to him or herself and others on the road. Try assessing your loved one’s driving abilities in one of the following ways:

• Go for multiple rides with him or her as a passenger. Be honest about his or her attitude on the road.
• Ask your loved one if he or she is afraid to drive at night.
• Watch for reaction time to traffic lights, signs and other cars.
• Keep an eye on your loved one’s overall awareness of his or her surroundings.
• Look for damage to the car that could be a result of driving incidents.
• Find out if he or she has recent tickets or hike in insurance rates.
• Speak with neighbors about what they have observed in your loved one’s driving.

When it’s time to have that difficult talk with your parent or loved one you can soften the blow by hiring a senior sitter. Senior caregivers can help your loved one by arranging transportation or driving to Market Street or other stores for shopping and errands. Senior caregivers can also help seniors get to the doctor, the hairdresser, and other places safely. If you are worried about your senior loved one in Lubbock, TX driving call Comfort Keepers today to find out more about how senior caregivers can help elderly drivers stay safe.