Perhaps nothing denotes independence for us adults as the ability to drive ourselves somewhere and/or handle public transportation. The recent Mayo Alzheimer's newsletter addresses this, and says accurately that opinions abound on whether someone with dementia can drive. I saw a recent news documentary that stated that new evidence shows the people with early dementia may very well be able to drive capably. It was and continues to be a big question for us, so I had Dwane evaluated by an OT (occupational therapist) who specializes in determining driving safety. I highly recommend having this type of evaluation. It was a couple hundred dollars out of pocket, but it was well worth the information it gave us.
The Mayo newsletter states:
"If your loved one continues to drive, pay attention to warning signs of unsafe driving, such as:
■Difficulty navigating to familiar places, changing lanes or making turns
■Confusing the brake and gas pedals
■Failing to observe traffic signals
■Making slow or poor decisions
■Hitting the curb while driving
■Driving at an inappropriate speed
■Becoming angry or confused while driving"
The Mayo newsletter also suggests that a good guideline is whether or not you feel safe riding in the car with the person with dementia, or whether you would feel safe having a grandchild ride with the person. Good guidelines.
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