At AccordantCare, our goal is have the older driver decide for himself whether continued driving is ill-advised, sparing YOU of this burden and the resentment that goes along with it.
Driving Retirement for Aging Parents
To you and me, driving represents our freedom and independence. For our aging parents, it is no different. But statistically speaking, drivers become more vulnerable to traffic accidents beginning at the age of 75. Slowed reaction times, limited hearing and vision challenges, mobility limitations, and memory loss all come into play when operating a motor vehicle.
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Maybe you’ve noticed your parent straddling lanes, overlooking road signs, disregarding speed limits, or asking you to act as co-pilot from the passenger seat. Or worse, getting lost in familiar places or confusing the pedals and other controls!
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But what can you do when you notice your aging parent’s driving is becoming a safety concern? If they are legally competent to make their own choices, yet lack insight that they may be at risk, a well-meaning broach of the subject can devolve into a contentious battle of wills.
So how do you get an elderly parent to stop driving!?
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With AccordantCare, we take the emotion and speculation out of the equation for you and reduce the question of the older driver’s safety to tangible, quantifiable facts.
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After meeting with your loved one and conducting a series of practical exercises, your certified AccordantCare Senior Driving Safety consultant will render a solid opinion once and for all as to whether your loved one is at an elevated risk of a future accident. Our goal is have the older driver decide for himself whether continued driving is ill-advised, sparing you of this burden and the resentment that goes along with it.
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The AccordantCare Difference
The AccordantCare Senior Driving Safety approach is to involve the older driver in a self-assessment process. At no time is your loved one under the strain of being “evaluated”, the worry of being reported to the DMV, nor the threat of having his keys taken away at the end of the session.
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Our self-assessment sessions are conducted privately in the comfort of your parent’s home. Never will the older driver in your life be strapped to an intimidating driving simulator in a cold, stark clinical setting. We prefer genuine conversation, pen to paper exercises at the kitchen table, and practical observation in the familiarity the older driver’s own vehicle.
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Most of all, we prefer to respect the dignity of choice. When older drivers feel that they are being heard and not forced, they will most often decide on their own that it is time to retire from a long and successful driving career when presented with tangible facts and not criticism.
Warning Signs of At-Risk Driving
Confusion
Getting lost in familiar places,
Mixing up brake and gas pedals, forgetting where car is parked
Oblivion
Ignoring stop signs, violating speed limits (too fast or too slow), cutting off other drivers
Vision
Other cars seem to appear out of nowhere, trouble seeing road signs, blinded by glare
Coordination
Straddling lanes, losing control of the steering wheel, involuntary muscle movement