Caring for Elderly Parents Who Combine Driving With Health Issues?

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Baby boomer and senior citizen driving news has been making headlines again. Particularly since an Australian study was released in around May. The New York Times New Old Age has an interesting article about this study, Elderly Drivers Fail a Test. It features an interesting discussion around the topic that, the older most people get, the less skilled they may be at driving. They did a series of tests with older drivers that did seem to have some disconcerting results, showing problems in the driving habits and skills of the tested seniors. I have to admit, though, I join with several of the commenters to the article in wondering whether, if this same type of test was given to teen drivers, busy parents driving with kids, and business people talking on their cell phones (even with hands-free equipment), how they would fare in this same test? None of us is perfect, or perfectly focused, 100% of the time!

Still, for those of us caring for elderly parents with degenerative diseases, such as recovering stroke patients, those with Parkinsons Disease, etc., there is definitely serious cause for concern. And, since I’ve been on the topic of caring for a family member who is a stroke patient, including at home, I thought this would be a perfect topic to explore further.

I remember heading into a restaurant a few years ago and discovering an elderly woman trying to park her car in the parking lot. She was stopped in the middle of the driving area and looked confused. She said the car had stopped, she turned it off  and then she couldn’t get it to restart and asked me for help. As I recall, it was a simple fix. She just had it in the wrong gear. I switched gears, started it easily and parked it for her. She and her even older husband then slowly headed into the restaurant with me, and we chatted a bit. I became a bit concerned about her mental well-being in general and encouraged her to call her son to come and help her. That solved the issue for the moment, but what about future outings? And sadly, that’s not necessarily an anomaly!

So how do we, caring for the elderly parents and relatives in our families, deal with this? I’d love to tell you there’s a simple answer in black and white. No such luck. But there are some excellent helps and resources for us and I’m here to share some with you:

Caring.com is a great resource for the state driving laws. They have each state listed and the information specific to elderly drivers. Here’s California’s:

California Elderly Driving Laws

Specific rules for older drivers

• No renewal by mail or Internet after age 70.

Standard driver’s license renewal

• License renewed: Every 5 years.
• Renewal conditions: In person, but qualified drivers (that is, drivers under 70 who are not on driving probation or suspension) can renew by mail or Internet for no more than 2 license terms in a row.
• Vision test: Yes, at in-person renewal.
• Written test: Yes, at in-person renewal.
• Road test: Only if there are indications of driver impairment, based on a report by a law enforcement officer, a physician, or a family member.

For more information

California Department of Motor Vehicles
PO Box 942890
Sacramento, CA 94290-0001
800-777-0133
www.dmv.ca.gov

I was so relieved when my dad was required go in to the DMV because of the requirements listed above. I had hoped that would resolve my dilemma but it didn’t. Even though my dad’s Parkinsons Disease was progressing, he was able to pass the their visual exam and they didn’t require him to drive with them. It took a couple of more months of talking through the whole situation with him before we came to a peaceful resolution of his choosing to stop driving. And I was so proud of him. He did it with a perfectly clean driving record. Better than mine from my teen years!  Which, by the way, is something AAA will often point out. We boomers and seniors may be getting older and slower, but we are also often more cautious and careful, thus resulting in good driving records.

Speaking of AAA, they have a wonderful site for senior citizens that I just discovered.  With assessment tests, online videos and education, and plenty of helpful tips and ideas for what to do if you or an elderly parent has to quit driving, it’s definitely a great resource. Yet another reason I love AAA and their roadside assistance plans clubs!

Having access to so many great resources is definitely good news for those of us boomers and seniors caring for elderly parents, including beloveds who are stroke patients, and looking for guidance! And I’m not done! I have several more, which I’ll be sharing next Thursday!  🙂