While traffic safety is important for all drivers, seniors experience physical changes that can affect their driving abilities. Although some seniors can drive well into their 70s, 80s and 90s, others cannot. It can be a tough adjustment for people who are used to using their cars to visit friends and family, attend doctor appointments and go shopping. Seniors often equate losing their driving privileges to becoming dependent and losing control and spontaneity in their lives. However, there are simple safety steps older adults can take to ensure they are driving safely.
Vision
The ability to see clearly while driving changes with age. According to AAA, the amount of light needed to drive nearly doubles every 13 years. For example, a 45-year-old requires four times as much light as a 19-year-old, and a 60-year-old requires 10 times as much.
Change in vision is a common reason why many seniors have restricted licenses or have their licenses revoked. Good vision is crucial to driving and senior drivers should keep the following in mind:
• Get an annual eye exam. Your eyes change rapidly and early detection can slow the progress of many eye problems.
• Limit driving to the daytime. It takes more time for aging eyes to adjust to the glare of oncoming headlights.
• Keep your head and eyes moving. While driving look ahead of your vehicle for other vehicles, pedestrians, animals or hazards. While driving in the city look at least one block ahead and on the highway look 12 to 15 seconds ahead. Glance frequently in your rearview mirror.
• Keep your headlights, taillights and the inside and outside of your windshield clean. Choose a car with a clear windshield as tinted windows can reduce the amount of light entering the eye.
• Avoid wearing eyeglasses and sunglasses with wide frames that may restrict your side vision. Always keep your eyeglasses clean.
Medications
Many senior drivers take medications that may affect safe driving, leading to drowsiness and confusion. Seniors should talk to their doctors about the effects their medications may have on their driving abilities and follow these guidelines:
• Read the fine print. Many prescription and over-the-counter medication labels include the message “Do not use while operating heavy machinery.” Be cognizant of the warnings on your medications before getting behind the wheel.
• Consult with your doctor before taking any new medications. The interaction between certain drugs can affect your ability to safely drive.
• If any medications cause fatigue or disorientation, stop driving.
Physical and Mental Fitness
Driving takes strength, flexibility and coordination and seniors should continue to participate in physical exercise to keep their motor skills sharp. Mental fitness is also important as older minds sometimes react more slowly than younger minds. Here are some ways for seniors to enhance their physical and mental fitness:
• Take a brisk walk every day or start a garden in your backyard to stay physically fit.
• Stimulate your brain. Activities such as crossword puzzles, brain teasers and card games stimulate your mind and enhance your problem solving, memory, reasoning and concentration skills.
Alternatives for Older Drivers
A person’s driving ability is dependent on many factors. Chronological age is not always the best predictor of one’s ability to drive safely. If you or your loved one has had a series of minor accidents, is unable to concentrate, is getting lost on familiar roads or is unable to read or recognize ordinary road signs, it may be time to step out from behind the wheel. However, there are alternatives available. In-home care agencies such as Right at Home offer many companion services including transportation to doctor’s appointments and recreational activities, as well as shopping and errand services.
“We know that living independently has many benefits and we are privileged to help older adults maintain their independence and enjoy a full life,” said Doug Dickstein, President, Right at Home in Glendale “All older adults and their loved ones should be aware of traffic safety.”
Seniors can also utilize public transportation where available. There are often community agencies that provide volunteer transportation services for seniors, as well. These alternatives can give retired drivers the independence they once had while keeping them out of harm’s way.
Showing posts with label Transportation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Transportation. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Is It Time to Give Up the Car?
For most of us, the automobile represents independence, control and mobility. We couldn't wait to get our first driver's license when we were teenagers, and we would like to keep driving as long as possible.
However, some of the normal changes of aging can make driving more challenging. Hearing loss, vision problems, decreased reaction time, memory loss and lessened manual dexterity are all limitations that tend to increase as a person ages.
Seniors and their loved ones should discuss driving safety, and periodically assess driving abilities to honestly judge whether the senior adult is safe behind the wheel. There may come a point when any one of these conditions or a combination of several make it difficult and risky to keep driving.
Some older drivers become increasingly nervous about their driving ability, and consequently become less mobile in the community. Some keep driving until an incident occurs—a scare, a minor accident, or worse—and then quit driving abruptly, without having made plans for what they will do without the car. And others are in denial, refusing to face up to limitations until family members or the department of licensing step in.
Seniors who have successfully made the transition from being a driver urge others to plan ahead and be proactive. One 80-year-old man who abruptly stopped driving after an accident counsels, "Don't wait for circumstances to make decisions for you!"
Giving Up Driving Doesn't Mean Giving Up Mobility
The first thing to do is to add up the cost of owning and maintaining a car. Car payments, insurance, repairs, gasoline, parking fees—all these should go into your calculation. For most people, the total is considerable. Think of those dollars as money available for alternative transportation.
Knowing your loved one has this "transportation allowance" available, begin to calculate the alternatives, and ask your loved one these questions:
* Do you live on or near a bus or rapid transit route? Where are the places you can conveniently travel using public transportation? If you've never explored your local bus, subway or light rail, take a field trip! Just hop on and take a ride some day, making sure you know how to return to the same spot. Look for grocery stores, dry cleaners, other shopping possibilities along the route.
* Do you have family or friends who might enjoy giving you a ride to church, to your doctor's office, to the barber or beauty shop, or on a weekly shopping trip?
* Is there special transportation for seniors in your area? Where will they take you? How convenient is it? How much lead time is needed to use this service?
* How much do cab rides cost to your usual destinations? Will a cab company take "standing assignments" on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis? Once you have figured out how the first three modes of transportation will work, use taxi cabs to fill in the blanks.
* Don't forget walking! We get in the habit of driving, even though some local destinations are near and provide a little extra exercise.
With this kind of planning, many seniors lose their anxiety over giving up driving. It may not be easy, but having a workable plan for getting where you want to go is a major step forward.
When the time comes to put away the keys, be creative in your approach. Encourage your loved one to try:
* Leaving the car in the garage for a while and see how they get along not using it.
* Setting a trial period for trying out transportation options.
* Giving the car to a favorite charity or a grandchild.
* Selling the car and using the money for an alternate transportation fund.
When seniors and families first begin to have concerns about the senior's driving, that is the time to begin planning a post-driving strategy. Think of this as just another challenge to be addressed, and then put your heads together, using your best problem-solving skills to keep your senior loved one active and mobile.
What's the Role of Family?
Don't let the topic of driving safety become a "taboo" subject in your family. Seniors have the right to make their own decisions as long as they're able, including the decision to keep driving. But family members have the right, and the responsibility, to be concerned about the safety of their loved one and of strangers who might be hurt in an accident. There is obvious potential for conflict here, but you shouldn't let it reach that point. Be willing to talk candidly about the issue, and be open to some risk-reducing compromises. Work together to create a plan that respects while it protects.
Learn More About Alternate Transportation Strategies
The National Center on Senior Transportation website offers information for older adults, caregivers and transportation providers to promote the greatest independence and mobility for seniors in the community.
However, some of the normal changes of aging can make driving more challenging. Hearing loss, vision problems, decreased reaction time, memory loss and lessened manual dexterity are all limitations that tend to increase as a person ages.
Seniors and their loved ones should discuss driving safety, and periodically assess driving abilities to honestly judge whether the senior adult is safe behind the wheel. There may come a point when any one of these conditions or a combination of several make it difficult and risky to keep driving.
Some older drivers become increasingly nervous about their driving ability, and consequently become less mobile in the community. Some keep driving until an incident occurs—a scare, a minor accident, or worse—and then quit driving abruptly, without having made plans for what they will do without the car. And others are in denial, refusing to face up to limitations until family members or the department of licensing step in.
Seniors who have successfully made the transition from being a driver urge others to plan ahead and be proactive. One 80-year-old man who abruptly stopped driving after an accident counsels, "Don't wait for circumstances to make decisions for you!"
Giving Up Driving Doesn't Mean Giving Up Mobility
The first thing to do is to add up the cost of owning and maintaining a car. Car payments, insurance, repairs, gasoline, parking fees—all these should go into your calculation. For most people, the total is considerable. Think of those dollars as money available for alternative transportation.
Knowing your loved one has this "transportation allowance" available, begin to calculate the alternatives, and ask your loved one these questions:
* Do you live on or near a bus or rapid transit route? Where are the places you can conveniently travel using public transportation? If you've never explored your local bus, subway or light rail, take a field trip! Just hop on and take a ride some day, making sure you know how to return to the same spot. Look for grocery stores, dry cleaners, other shopping possibilities along the route.
* Do you have family or friends who might enjoy giving you a ride to church, to your doctor's office, to the barber or beauty shop, or on a weekly shopping trip?
* Is there special transportation for seniors in your area? Where will they take you? How convenient is it? How much lead time is needed to use this service?
* How much do cab rides cost to your usual destinations? Will a cab company take "standing assignments" on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis? Once you have figured out how the first three modes of transportation will work, use taxi cabs to fill in the blanks.
* Don't forget walking! We get in the habit of driving, even though some local destinations are near and provide a little extra exercise.
With this kind of planning, many seniors lose their anxiety over giving up driving. It may not be easy, but having a workable plan for getting where you want to go is a major step forward.
When the time comes to put away the keys, be creative in your approach. Encourage your loved one to try:
* Leaving the car in the garage for a while and see how they get along not using it.
* Setting a trial period for trying out transportation options.
* Giving the car to a favorite charity or a grandchild.
* Selling the car and using the money for an alternate transportation fund.
When seniors and families first begin to have concerns about the senior's driving, that is the time to begin planning a post-driving strategy. Think of this as just another challenge to be addressed, and then put your heads together, using your best problem-solving skills to keep your senior loved one active and mobile.
What's the Role of Family?
Don't let the topic of driving safety become a "taboo" subject in your family. Seniors have the right to make their own decisions as long as they're able, including the decision to keep driving. But family members have the right, and the responsibility, to be concerned about the safety of their loved one and of strangers who might be hurt in an accident. There is obvious potential for conflict here, but you shouldn't let it reach that point. Be willing to talk candidly about the issue, and be open to some risk-reducing compromises. Work together to create a plan that respects while it protects.
Learn More About Alternate Transportation Strategies
The National Center on Senior Transportation website offers information for older adults, caregivers and transportation providers to promote the greatest independence and mobility for seniors in the community.
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