An estimated 600,000 Americans stop driving each year. Four out of five older adults who can no longer drive end up feeling isolated and frustrated. Your mom’s health is changing and she needs to stop driving, how do you approach this topic without upsetting her?

Put Safety First

As hard as it is, your mom has to consider her safety and the safety of others. If she can’t turn far enough to check her blindspots or has slower reaction times, how would she feel if she caused a crash that hurt someone else? 

She has to put safety first. If her driving is going to put people at risk, she has to stop driving. If she had a stroke or heart attack, she’ll have to stop driving for now, but assure her it doesn’t have to be a permanent thing. She just needs to wait until her doctor approves her driving again. If she needs to attend a driving class to get clearance, make sure she attends those classes.

Assure Her She Will Not Become Isolated

Handing over keys will make your mom feel that she’s losing her independence and freedom. She’s likely to start feeling isolated. Make sure that’s not the case. If you can’t drive her where she needs to go, arrange to have a grandchild, neighbor, or caregiver available.

Use a cloud service with a calendar to track appointments. If your mom has a doctor’s appointment or wants to go for a haircut, put it on the calendar for others to view. If they’re free, they can note they’ll take her. You’ll keep track of her schedule and know when a ride is needed.

Know When to Enlist Help

Your mom may not appreciate you being the one to tell her she needs to stop driving. It may be better to have someone else sit down and join the conversation. Her best friend, her doctor, or a trusted reverend or church leader may have an easier time convincing her that it’s time to stop driving.

If you can’t rely on those people, talk to the DMV. Some of them have driver reassessment programs. An instructor will drive with your mom and assess her driving skills and determine if she can still drive. That takes the pressure off you.

Your mom may not be able to drive safely now, but that doesn’t mean she has to give up her routines. Make sure she has someone to help her get to stores, run errands, and keep appointments. With transportation services from a companion care at home aide, your mom’s able to go out and keep her usual routine.

Arrange companion care at home services by calling an agency. Ask questions, get answers, and learn more about prices. Reach out today by phone or online.

If you or an aging loved-one is considering Companion Care at Home in Hillsborough, FL please contact the caring staff at Healthy Services Of Tampa, Inc today. 813-932-9922

Sources:

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-national-poll-inability-to-drive-lack-of-transportation-options-are-major-concerns-for-older-adults-people-with-disabilities-and-caregivers-300761774.html