Five Tips to Talk to Seniors About Driving
Talking to aging adults about driving is one of the most sensitive conversations that families might encounter. Driving represents freedom and independence, so any suggestions to limit driving or give up the keys may be met with anger and denial. Safety is the ultimate priority in caregiving, so it’s important that seniors have alternatives and talk about driving compassionately. 24-hour home care providers can offer seniors the support they need as they age in place, including assistance with transportation.
Don’t Wait for Seniors to Bring Up the Topic
If family caregivers wait for seniors to bring up driving, they might be waiting longer than they expect. Driving issues don’t just go away, and seniors may not volunteer that they’re having more trouble with driving. Waiting too long to have the conversation just makes the situation worse and can leave seniors vulnerable to accidents or other crises behind the wheel.
Ask Neutral Questions About How Comfortable Seniors Are Driving
Accusations or negative statements about driving are not going to go over well. Instead, try open-ended, neutral questions. Asking seniors how they feel about driving or whether they’ve noticed changes in their comfort behind the wheel gives them a chance to respond honestly.
Seniors might be less defensive and give family caregivers a better chance at really talking about solutions.
Get Specific About Concerns
Once the topic is broached, generalities won’t work well. If family caregivers have specific examples, now is the time to share them. Keeping the focus on specific observations takes emotion out of the conversation.
Mentioning details such as slowed reaction time, minor scrapes on the car, or increased anxiety while driving can help family caregivers share what they’re worried about without passing judgment.
Consider Bringing Healthcare Providers Up to Speed
Medical professionals can offer a lot of support in evaluating driving safety for seniors. Vision assessments, reaction time, medication side effects, and cognitive functioning are just a few of the variables that affect driving. Talking with doctors about what they’re experiencing can help seniors keep in perspective that changes affect how safe they are behind the wheel.
Information from their doctors may hold a little more weight for seniors, too, which can help them to be more open to allowing 24-hour home care providers to do the driving.
Provide Alternatives That Preserve Independence
One of the biggest worries seniors have about no longer driving is that they’ll be stuck at home and lose their independence. Coming into the conversation about driving with alternative ideas to keep seniors mobile can help quite a bit.
24-hour home care providers can be there at all hours of the day, which means that seniors always have someone who can drive them where they need to go.
The conversation about driving still won’t be the easiest talk ever, but it can go much more smoothly when family caregivers approach it empathetically. 24-hour home care providers can offer support with driving and other activities that might be more difficult for seniors as they continue to age in place.
If you or an aging loved one is considering 24-Hour Home Care in the Lenexa, KS, area, please contact the caring staff at Elder Care of Kansas City today.
Proudly serving Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in Missouri, as well as Johnson and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas for over 30 years.
Prior to purchasing Elder Care, Kevin spent over 20 years in the health insurance industry.In his most recent position, he was in a financial operations role with Humana where he worked with doctors, nurses and other health professionals developing programs to keep Humana members healthy.Their focus on primary care and medication adherence improved the lives of thousands of seniors in Kansas City and the surrounding area.
Kevin and his wife, Lori, have three children.Kevin has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Missouri.
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