Driving is one of the hardest things for older adults to give up, but it is important in certain situations. Vision changes, slowed reaction times, stiffness in the neck or back, and prescription medications all influence whether someone should be driving.
Winter driving is especially difficult. When roads are dry, the sun on fresh snow is blinding. To someone with cataracts, it can be hard to see well in bright sunlight. On icy or snowy roads, careful attention to acceleration, braking, and cornering is crucial. It can make it harder for older adults to drive safely.
How do you know if your parents should drive this winter? Start by asking the following questions. Use their answers to determine whether it’s safe or if they need someone else to drive them.
Are They Taking Medications?
If your parents are taking medications for high blood pressure, heart disease, or antidepressants, dizziness and sleepiness are common side effects. Confusion or disorientation are other side effects to look for.
If your parents do take one or more medication with those side effects, they shouldn’t drive. It impacts their ability to react in time and stay in their lane. Some side effects wane after an hour. Others last for hours. Long-lasting side effects make it unsafe to drive. Your mom and dad should have someone else do the driving.
When Was Their Last Eye Exam?
Yearly eye exams remain one of the best ways to know if your parents should be driving. If they can’t see well in bright lighting, dim lighting, or at levels that meet the state’s vision requirements, they need to stop driving.
Cataracts are one of the eye conditions that older adults face. If your mom or dad has cataracts, driving at night is not advised. Glare, light sensitivity, and double vision all make driving unsafe at any time of day. An eye doctor will talk to them about driving and when it’s time to hand over the keys.
How Is Their Health?
Talk to their doctor about any underlying health issues. Their doctor may have advised them not to drive due to their health. It’s also possible that they’ve been diagnosed with arthritis. This is important.
If the arthritis pain is in the back or neck at all, turning to check blind spots is not easy. Your parents shouldn’t drive if they are not capable of turning far enough to check for other vehicles.
Your work hours make it hard to take your parents everywhere they want to go. What do you do to make sure they’re able to go to stores, medical offices, senior stores, and other locations? Have you talked to an elderly care agency about transportation services? With elderly care, a caregiver is available to drive your parents whenever needed.
If you are considering elderly care in Scarsdale, NY, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts At Home of NYC today at 212-201-6139.
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