Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive condition that gradually impacts your loved one’s ability to reason, remember, and problem-solve. These changes can affect every aspect of daily life, and at some point, additional support will become essential. Alzheimer’s home care can play a vital role in helping your loved one maintain a sense of independence while staying safe.
In the early stages, many individuals with Alzheimer’s can still manage daily tasks with some assistance from friends, family, or caregivers. However, one of the first activities that may need to be reconsidered is driving due to the risks it poses not only to your loved one but also to everyone else on the road.
How Alzheimer’s Disease Can Affect Driving
If you’ve been driving for decades, it might feel like second nature (although driving in your sleep is definitely not recommended!). But even a quick drive to the local market involves countless decisions and processes to ensure safety for both your loved one and others on the road.
In the early stages of Alzheimer’s, changes in the brain can impact your loved one’s ability to drive safely. This is where Alzheimer’s home care can play a vital role, offering support to help manage daily activities and ensure overall safety.
These challenges to safe driving can include:
- An inability to make judgment calls on the spot. Your loved one may take too long to slam on the brakes if something suddenly appears before him or if the car in front of him has to stop suddenly.
- Sensory perceptions can be damaged, making it more difficult to turn the car correctly, or know when he can change lanes safely.
- Confusion can come on suddenly without warning and he may not remember if green means go or stop or which pedal is used to brake the car.
- Memory loss can make getting lost while driving more likely.
Five Warning Signs That Your Loved One Should Stop Driving
But how do you know if your loved one should stop driving? Most likely, he’ll tell you he’s doing great, so you will need to look to other sources.
- He’s gotten lost driving to a familiar location.
- He has dings and scrapes on his car that he can’t account for.
- He’s had several traffic violations in recent months, especially if he never received them before.
- His friends and family don’t like riding with him.
- He’s had too many near misses.
Providing Options for Your Loved One
Telling someone that they should give up driving is never an easy conversation. You should approach it with care, empathy, and solutions. Be kind and sensitive as you explain why he should hand over the keys to his car, but be ready to have some reliable and safe options for him when he needs to get somewhere.
With Alzheimer’s disease, your loved one will not be able to use public transportation and may even struggle with calling a cab for a ride. Some programs can help with transportation needs, but they are often booked solid and hard to line up.
An Alzheimer’s home care provider who helps with transportation needs is a great option. With an Alzheimer’s home care provider, your loved one will have someone who will help him leave his home and get safely inside where he needs to be.
An Alzheimer’s home care provider understands the extra care your loved one needs to be safe during his entire outing.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Alzheimer’s Home Care in Garden City, CO, please contact the caring staff at Talem Home Care & Placement Services of Fort Collins, CO, today. Call (970) 829-0447
At Talem Home Care & Placement Services of Fort Collins CO, we provide passionate, understanding, and flexible caregivers in Fort Collins, Ault, Berthoud, Eaton, Evans, Fort Collins, Garden City, Greeley, Johnstown, Laporte, Loveland, Milliken, Nunn, Pierce, Wellington, Windsor and surrounding areas in Colorado.
