When Should Dementia Patients Stop Driving?
American Academy of Neurology Offers Guidelines for Taking Away the Car Keys
Caregivers can be extremely helpful in identifying unsafe drivers -- but only if they're honest, Iverson says.
"If a caregiver says, 'I'm concerned,' or rates a patient's driving as 'marginal' or 'unsafe,' that really pans out," he says.
But studies show that caregivers who deem their loved one's driving as "safe" are rarely accurate, "probably because they are trying to protect the patient," Iverson says.
"And if a patient himself says their driving is fine, that doesn't help. In fact, the strongest evidence we found is that this doesn't correlate with safe driving," he says.
The guidelines say these are some of the warning signs caregivers should watch for:
Becoming lost on a familiar route may also be a warning sign, says David Knopman, MD, a spokesman for AAN who was not involved in writing the guidelines.
Getting lost once may mean nothing, he says. "But if a person arrives two hours late repeatedly with no good explanation or there are unexpected dents in the car, there may a problem, says Knopman, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
So is there anything a person with dementia can do to improve his or her driving skills?
When Should Dementia Patients Stop Driving?
American Academy of Neurology Offers Guidelines for Taking Away the Car Keys
Identifying Unsafe Drivers continued...
Caregivers can be extremely helpful in identifying unsafe drivers -- but only if they're honest, Iverson says.
"If a caregiver says, 'I'm concerned,' or rates a patient's driving as 'marginal' or 'unsafe,' that really pans out," he says.
But studies show that caregivers who deem their loved one's driving as "safe" are rarely accurate, "probably because they are trying to protect the patient," Iverson says.
"And if a patient himself says their driving is fine, that doesn't help. In fact, the strongest evidence we found is that this doesn't correlate with safe driving," he says.
Warning Signs of Driving Problems
The guidelines say these are some of the warning signs caregivers should watch for:
- Accidents. Research shows that people who have had a crash in the past five years are more likely to have another accident, compared to people with mild dementia alone.
- Moving violations. One study showed that people over 70 who had two or more tickets in the past three years were more likely to have a crash than any other age group, including teenage boys, who recently held that spot.
- Driving less. "The magic number seems to be 60 miles a week. Driving less than that is associated with unsafe driving," although where you live and how frequently you typically drive factor in, Iverson says.
- Avoiding certain driving situations, such as driving at night or in the rain.
- Road rage. Research shows that aggressive or impulsive personality traits can be useful in identifying unsafe drivers, Iverson says.
Becoming lost on a familiar route may also be a warning sign, says David Knopman, MD, a spokesman for AAN who was not involved in writing the guidelines.
Getting lost once may mean nothing, he says. "But if a person arrives two hours late repeatedly with no good explanation or there are unexpected dents in the car, there may a problem, says Knopman, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Caregivers and Doctors Take Charge
So is there anything a person with dementia can do to improve his or her driving skills?
Source...