Some seniors may be afraid of losing their independence with driving retirement.
If your elderly parents are still driving and you are concerned, arrange a short car trip with them to observe their driving. If they drive at inappropriate speeds, drift across lanes, have trouble focusing or seeing, fail to notice pedestrians or have other similar problems, plan to talk with them about giving up driving. Understand that driving retirement can be a sensitive issue, with many drivers afraid of losing their independence. Listen to their fears and communicate with them openly, rather than giving them a one-way lecture about safety.
Instructions
1. Approach your elderly parents about retiring from driving before it becomes a serious problem. Do not wait to have this conversation after your parents have been in an accident.
Prepare for the conversation by developing a checklist of reasons why you are concerned. These reasons may include medical conditions, poor vision and whether or not your parents have trouble remembering familiar routes. You can even place the blame elsewhere, by telling your parents you are worried about other reckless drivers crashing into them.
2. Develop responses to likely objections. For example, your parents may argue that the public transportation in their city is minimal and that they still need to go grocery shopping. Your response should provide a solution, such as by offering to take them shopping every week or purchasing groceries online for home delivery.
3. Initiate an appropriate discussion. The AARP recognizes two types of driver retirement discussions. The first is called a "Level One" discussion, in which you lay a foundation by casually discussing driving safety. This sets a tone for later discussions, when your parents really need to give up driving. The second discussion, "Level Two," occurs when an elderly person is placing himself and others at risk by continuing to drive and he needs to stop immediately. Depending on your parents' personalities, however, they may not wish to give up the car keys after just one or two discussions.
4. Take your parents to the eye doctor. If their vision interferes with driving, they may heed a professional's advice about this issue. You may wish to set up an appointment for yourself with their eye doctor beforehand, in order to get his opinion on their driving safety.
5. Call your parents' doctor, especially if they take medications. Inform her that you are concerned about your parents' safety while driving and that you wish to bring them in for an appointment. Your doctor may be able to help you convince your parents to stop driving by pointing out that the medications they take may make them drowsy. Or, she may point out a specific medical condition renders it unsafe for them to drive.
6. Call your local Department of Motor Vehicles if your parents still insist on driving. MSNBC.com recommends asking the DMV to request that your parents take a driving test because a fellow motorist reported them as driving erratically.
7. Ask your parents if you can borrow their car while your car is being repaired, another strategy recommended by MSNBC.com. This may be an option if your parents need to stop driving immediately before they injure themselves or others. This may help you buy some time to convince your parents to retire from driving.
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