So your senior loved one is still on the road. Maybe they are a perfectly safe driver. Perhaps they are not. How can you tell?
Having that conversation is a good first step. But research conducted by Home Instead, Inc., franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care® network, revealed that most people aren’t talking.
While nearly one-third (31%) of surveyed seniors 70 and older who were still driving said that a recommendation from family or friends may make them reconsider driving, most of these older adults (95%) have not had these conversations.
Fear can keep families silent. But avoiding the conversation doesn’t make the issues go away. There are lots of options out there, both to keep seniors safely on the road longer as well as to prevent isolation when they do give up driving.
“Driving does not equal mobility,” says Elin Schold Davis, Project Coordinator, AOTA Older Driver Initiative, American Occupational Therapy Association. “It’s one way to get from point A to point B. It’s important to know that giving up driving is not giving up engagement in the community, recognizing that exploring and becoming comfortable with alternatives will take some work.”
Let’s Talk about Driving℠ features a wealth of resources for older adults and their families, whether they are still on the road or have given up the keys.