Assess seniors' driving skills to protect their well-being

The fast pace of traffic on the roads seems to go into a higher gear during the holidays, when more people travel to visit loved ones.

This merry season might be the perfect time to put on the brakes and assess the skills of older drivers to ensure they are safely seated at the head of the table during festive feasts.

Nearly 90 percent of aging adults rely on their cars and driving to stay independent, according to a survey by Home Instead Inc., franchiser of the Home Instead Senior Care network, which provides in-home care to seniors. Many people are able to safely drive into their later years, but it is important for families to plan for the time when physical or mental capacities diminish to a point that driving is no longer safe, said Leigh-Ann Wright, operations manager for Home Instead Senior Care’s Frederick, Md., region.

“The vast majority of people are not even talking about it,” said Wright, whose region encompasses Washington, Frederick and Carroll counties in Maryland.

Ninety-five percent of the seniors surveyed have not talked to their loved ones about driving, though 31 percent said a recommendation from family or friends that they transition away from driving would make them consider that option. The survey was conducted by Braun Research based on telephone interviews with 600 seniors in the United States and Canada, and the results were released in June. Those interviewed were 70 and older who had valid driver’s licenses and continued to drive or used to drive.

“If you’re planning ahead and discussing a transition, it’s not as bad,” Wright said. “The more the senior’s involved, the better.”

Friends and family members might see some signs that senior citizens are not driving as well as they used to. “Mystery dents,” for which there’s no explanation, or a bumper bearing the paint from another person’s vehicle are some warning signs, Wright said, as are the frequent replacement of taillights or objects in driveways such as light poles. She said diminished mobility is evident when older drivers rely more on mirrors to see behind them than turning their bodies when driving their vehicles in reverse.

Seniors in poor health might express increased irritation about driving in general, complaining about the speed drivers are traveling or how they’re not using their signals, Wright said. They also might confuse the brake and gas pedals.

Wright said when concerns arise about an older person’s capacity to drive, a respectful conversation needs to be had.

“You have to really give them the respect ... they’ve been driving a lot longer,” Wright said, adding that concerns about the safety of their loved one and others on the road need to be expressed.

Home Instead earlier this year launched a program called Let’s Talk About Driving, which can be found at www.LetsTalk AboutDriving.com. It provides what Wright called a “road map” for seniors and their loved ones to limit or stop driving when the time is right. There are tips for having discussions about driving, plus an interactive safe-driving planner to help families assess their loved one’s driving habits.

“A lot of seniors don’t want to feel like they’re a burden on anyone,” Wright said, so they don’t want to rely on their friends and family to transport them to appointments or take them on errands.

When conversations start before serious driving impairments are noticed, there’s plenty of time to make arrangements, Wright said, adding that there are many agencies that work with seniors to help then find transportation.

“There’s a lot of emotion with someone having to give up their keys,” she said.

Staying safely on the road

Being a senior citizen does not disqualify a person from driving, but it might require some adjustments to ensure that a person is safe behind the wheel.

William C. Baschke Jr.’s job is to educate people about the changes they might experience with age and how to compensate for them. The Hagers-town resident is a district coordinator and instructor for the American Association of Retired Persons’ smart-driver course.

“People who take these classes have less crashes than those who don’t,” said Baschke, whose region includes Washington, Allegany and Garrett counties in Maryland.

During his classes, he talks about changes in eyesight, including the fact that people need 20 times more light at age 60 to see what they could at age 30. He encourages seniors to wear wraparound sunglasses to prevent overexposure to the sun, which can cause cataracts, and to have their eyes checked regularly because depth perception can be impaired if vision in both eyes is not optimum.

Baschke said hearing can diminish with age, as can reaction times, particularly when having to quickly move a foot from the gas pedal to the brake. Older drivers are more likely to face medical conditions such as arthritis, dementia and memory loss, diabetes, blood-pressure changes, mental illness, sleep disorders and strokes, and medications used to treat some of those conditions can lead to behavioral changes, he said.

The brain is really at the heart of all of the body’s shifts with time.

“Our brains deteriorate like an old car,” Baschke said. “The brain does diminish its capacity, no matter what we do.”

He recommended that people have their driving skills assessed, either by a friend, family member or professional.

Baschke said it’s not helpful to have the passenger of an older person carry a clipboard and point out each mistake as it’s made; that’s too distracting. A better approach, he said, is having a calm conversation after the ride, maybe over coffee.

He practices what he preaches.

Baschke, 75, had his 50-year-old son critique his driving. One observation was that driving in the dark seemed problematic.

“I don’t drive that well at night,” Baschke said, so he avoids doing that as much as possible.

He also suggested that seniors keep their brains active by doing crossword puzzles or volunteering their time. Again, he leads by example, donating his time not only to teaching smart-driver courses, but being a poll worker, scheduling volunteers for the gift shop at Homewood at Williamsport, and working with Seniors and Law Enforcement Together, or SALT.

“If you don’t recognize and do something about these diminished capacities, you are going to be a poor driver” who can hurt yourself and/or others by causing accidents, Baschke said.

Time for change

Sometimes issues can be resolved by making adjustments to cars.

A program called CarFit, created by the American Society on Aging and developed with the American Automobile Association, AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association, helps older drivers find out how well they fit their vehicle, according to its website, www.car-fit.org. Participants are told how their fit can be improved, including adjusting seat height, mirrors, seat belts and headrests, Baschke said.

He added that drivers should be more than 10 inches from the airbag so it can fully inflate and they should be able to see at least 3 inches over the steering wheel.

Baschke said he educates his smart-driver students about changes that have occurred in driving since they obtained their licenses, often as teens.

First is the need for defensive driving.

“Today, if you are not a defensive driver, you are at the mercy of the people who are crazy out there,” said Baschke, most of whose students are 50 to 80 years old.

One suggestion he offered for those who find themselves in a lane next to a truck that is inching into their space is to back off and stay behind it, rather than try to pass it. He also said that while it’s nice to give people the right of way, don’t expect the same courtesy.

“If you have the right of way and you take it, you’re a fool,” he said.

New traffic patterns can cause drivers confusion, especially roundabouts, of which Baschke is a fan.

“A roundabout is the safest intersection you can have,” he said, because the slower speeds they require mean that the most serious wrecks that should occur in them are fender benders.

Many newer cars have safety designs that are assets to older drivers.

Blind-spot warning systems, headlights that better help with night driving and Global Positioning Systems are among the features that might prolong an older driver’s years behind the wheel.

“Vehicles themselves are getting safer,” Wright said. w

If you go ...

WHAT: AARP smart-driver course

WHEN: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14

WHERE: Washington County Sheriff’s Office, 500 Western Maryland Parkway, Hagerstown

COST: $15 for AARP members; $20 for nonmembers. Checks should be made payable to AARP.

CONTACT: Call 301-790-0275

MORE: Open to drivers of all ages

EVEN MORE: Professional driving evaluations are offered at Rehabilitation of Frederick, 70 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 101, Frederick, Md. Referrals from doctors, the Motor Vehicle Administration or the Division of Rehabilitation Services are required. The cost of the three-hour clinical and driving assessments starts at $500. Call 301-682-9110 or email ottjones1@yahoo.com.

Let’s Talk About Driving

For suggestions on how to talk to seniors about driving, go to www.letstalkaboutdriving.com. Among the many topics the site addresses are the stages of senior driving, talking to parents about their driving, medical conditions that can affect driving and transitioning away from driving.

CarFit

To find a CarFit program near you, go to www.car-fit.org.

10 warning signs that seniors might be unsafe drivers

1. Mysterious dents. If an older adult can’t explain what happened to his or her car, or you notice multiple instances of damage, further investigation is needed to understand if there’s been a change in the senior’s driving abilities.

2. Trouble turning to see when backing up. Aging might compromise mobility and impact important movements needed to drive safely. Newer vehicles offer back-up cameras and assistive technologies that can help older adults continue to drive safely.

3. Confusing the gas and brake pedals. Dementia can lead to a senior being confused about how his or her car operates.

4. Increased irritation and agitation when driving. Poor health or chronic pain can trigger increased agitation that might lead to poor judgment on the road.

5. Bad calls on left-hand turns. Turning left can be tricky and dangerous for older drivers, and many accidents occur where there is an unprotected left turn (no turning arrow).

6. Parking gone awry. Difficulty parking, including parallel parking, could cause damage to an older adult’s vehicle and to those around it.

7. Difficulty staying within the lanes. If you’ve spotted a driver zigzagging along the road, it could be a sign that fatigue or vision problems are making it difficult to stay on course.

8. Delayed reaction and response time. Aging slows response times, which might lead to an older adult causing an accident or being unable to respond quickly enough to prevent one.

9. Driving the wrong speed. Driving too fast or too slow might be indicators that a driver’s judgment could is impaired.

10. Riding the brake. Riding the brake could be a sign that a driver no longer has confidence in his or her skills.

Source: Home Instead Senior Care