Caring for senior parents means that sometimes you have to have serious discussions they may not want to have. Like when it’s time for them to stop driving. Many seniors, especially men over the age of 65, view driving as independence. Having to stop driving can make them feel like they are giving up their independence. This is why so many seniors refuse to give up driving until something bad happens. To prevent your dad from having or causing an accident, it may be time to talk to him about hanging up the keys. The most important thing to mention when you talk to your dad is that home care assistance is available to help with driving.
Your dad doesn’t have to give up his independence when he stops driving. With home care assistance he can still go to medical appointments, run errands, go shopping, or meet friends whenever he wants. And he won’t have to do things alone. A caregiver will be there to help him if needs help.
If you are starting to notice signs like these, it’s time to have the driving talk with your dad:
Physical Changes That Can Impact Driving
If your dad has a limited range of motion because of age-related conditions it’s time for him to stop driving. Seniors often develop conditions that can slow down their reflexes, impact their vision, and make it hard for them to physically grip the steering wheel. If your dad has limited physical ability it’s not safe for him to be driving.
Vision Changes
Low vision, cataracts, myopia, impaired depth perception, and difficult seeing at night are conditions that can impact a senior’s ability to drive. If your dad has experienced vision changes as he’s gotten older that could make him a dangerous driver he shouldn’t be driving any longer.
Cognitive Decline
Memory problems, confusion, difficulty concentrating, or decision-making issues can impair driving abilities. Conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia can significantly affect judgment and reaction times. If your dad has been diagnosed with a condition that includes cognitive changes like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s he shouldn’t be driving.
Having More Accidents
Has your dad been having a lot of fender benders lately? Does the car have a lot of new scratches and dings? The reason for the accidents could be that your dad isn’t really capable of driving safely anymore. You need to talk to him about giving up driving before he gets seriously hurt, or hurts someone else.
Getting Lost
If your dad is suddenly getting lost frequently, or has to pull over because he doesn’t know where he is even in the neighborhood because he can’t recognize familiar landmarks he should get home care assistance and let a care provider do the driving for him.
Not Recognizing Traffic Signs
If your dad is having trouble recognizing or interpreting traffic signs, signals, and road markings he could be a danger to himself or anyone else on the road.
If you or an aging loved one is considering home care assistance in Glen Ellyn, IL, please contact the caring staff at Suburban Home Care today at (630) 964-9000.
There are several great reasons why Suburban Home Care® should be your choice for quality homecare. All of our Certified Nursing Assistants and Home Health Aides are screened, trained, bonded and insured.
Every family needs to be aware that almost every Homeowner’s insurance policy specifically excludes anyone working within your home. If the person you hire becomes injured while working for you, you will become personally responsible for all of their medical bills. This has left several families very vulnerable when their caregiver injured themselves at their home.
The potential to lose everything you have worked so hard to achieve seems an unnecessary risk. Every one of Suburban Home Care®’s employees are completely covered by insurance so you and your loved ones can relax knowing that if something unforeseen happens to your caregiver, they are completely covered by insurance.
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