How to Approach Your Aging Loved Ones about When They Should Stop Driving

 

 

How to Approach Your Aging Loved Ones about When They Should Stop Driving

Throughout this series we’ve talked about a wide number of issues that deal with senior driving, from statistics concerning elderly drivershow age affects your driving, and how to maintain your independence and stay safe on the road, to how to determine when your aging loved one is no longer fit to drive and the alternatives/benefits of not driving.

As we’ve discussed, driving is a huge milestone in most people’s lives and has become synonymous with freedom, mobility, independence and adulthood, which is why it should come as no surprise that most people would be reluctant to give up their keys.

Still, as we age, driving can become difficult if not dangerous, which is why in some instances it may be necessary to speak with your parent about hanging up the keys.

Today, we’re going to talk about how to approach your aging loved ones about when they should stop driving. Take a look below:

Consider their point of view

As we mentioned above, driving is an important part of ones independence and mobility. So when speaking to your parent about no longer driving, try to put yourself in their shoes; consider how hard it would be for you to get around doing everyday tasks without a car. Or, as geriatric researcher Elizabeth Dugan discusses in her book The Driving Dilemma, you could even consider giving up driving yourself, in order to get that first-hand experience of what it is like without a car. But, regardless of your approach, always consider your loved ones point of view.

Give them their options

Before approaching your loved one, it’s a good idea to have a list of options and alternatives to driving in order to help to show them how easy it can be to transition to life without a car.

You should consider putting together a list of pros and cons, highlighting the number of benefits, which we listed earlier, in order to give them a better idea of what is possible even without a car.

Help with the transition

It is also important that you help your loved one with the transition as much as possible. You can do so by helping them plan out bus routes, putting together a timetable of the shuttle/bus schedules, providing them with all the necessary phone numbers, etc.

Talking about driving can be a difficult discussion to have, but by showing your support through the process, you will help to ensure that your loved ones feel like they’e made the right choice in hanging up their car keys, as well as give yourself peace of mind.

As always, if you have any questions about any of the information we’ve outlined above, please feel free to give us a call. We’d love to help you every step of the way.

Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living “currently serving Omaha, Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa “provides seniors and their families a complete understanding of geriatric care options and helps families maneuver through the challenges of the system. Get your free Cost Comparison guide by clicking here. Or contact us for a free consultation or just to say hello!

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“Physicians’ Choice Private Duty Assisted Living solves the challenges families face in caring for aging parents, with a focus on strategies that keep them in their homes. To learn more about our solutions, visit http://www.private-duty.pchhc.com.”