Commentary: Worried about a senior family member’s driving abilities? Here’s how to broach the topic

Problems As SENIOR DRIVERS ARE ATTENDED TO

An older child’s ability to drive safely may be impacted by a number of age-related conditions.

Seniors may struggle to read street signs, calculate distances, and drive at night due to vision impairments caused by macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. Horns, alarms, and different audio signals can be impeded by hearing loss.

Conditions such as gout, sarcopenia and common illness can significantly affect an old individual’s ability to control a automobile. These real restrictions may affect driving and braking, which could be harmful to road safety.

In terms of cognitive skills, delirium or other neuro-degenerative diseases may affect memory, assessment, planning, visuospatial abilities and response times, which are essential components of safe traveling.

Finally, some seniors may take medications that can trigger tiredness, dizziness or other side effects destructive to driving.

SELF-ASSESSMENT FOR Moving Exercise

Many older people continue to drive without realizing that age-related declines in perspective, reaction period, and cognitive functionality have made driving more difficult and risky. The truth of these changes only becomes evident after a near contact or injury.

Elders should thoroughly assess their driving experience. Important warning signs that need to be ignored are numerous instances of dizziness, increased anxiety while driving, or repeated traffic violations.