10 Driving Safety Tips For Older Adults…

Dr. Shapira — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:02:37 +0000

For most Americans, aged 65 and above, the ability to drive is a sign of independence, control and mobility. I hear people say more and more, that “she or he should not be driving.” When is the right time to take away the keys and license and who should do it?

Remember when you couldn’t wait to get a driver’s license and handed the keys to your first car when you were a teenager? Well, some of the normal changes of aging can make driving more challenging and difficult, to say the least, down right dangerous for some.

Impediments such as hearing loss, sight changes, decreased reaction time due to stroke or coronary infarcts or other age-related physical problems, memory loss and lessened manual dexterity can mean danger on the road.

Older adults should periodically assess their own driving ability, both to increase safety and to honestly judge whether they should continue driving safely behind the wheel.

Can you be honest with yourself? How do we continue to drive safely when aging sets in?

Take a refresher driving course.
When filling medications ask the pharmacist if the medicine you take will impede your ability to drive or impair your judgment.
Have regular eye examinations and keep your eyeglass prescriptions current.
Make sure the car is in good working order.
Keep windows and mirrors, windshields and wiper blades clean. Make sure headlights, taillights and turn signals function.
Have your tires regularly checked for low air pressure and excessive wear.
Make adaptive changes to the car to ensure safe driving, like extended mirrors or a back-up warning buzzer, wheel grips or pedal adjustments.
If the car is large and difficult to drive then consider trading it for a smaller one.
Investigate routes and take less congested roads.
Make sure that insurance is adequate and kept current.

OK, what if mom or dad is driving erratically and need the car banished from sight…who does it? Have the medical doctor certify that they can not drive anymore unless things improve. That way you are not the “bad guy” in the equation. The last thing anyone needs is resentment towards you by a parent who thinks you are robbing them of their independence.

Remind your parents or loved ones who are risking their lives due to their inability to drive properly that driving is a right and not a privilege. It has to be earned and if one is in poor health, it is not in their best interest to drive at the risk of harming themselves and other’s.

Why I want to live my life backwards:

Dr. Shapira — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 04:35:26 +0000

You start out dead and get that out of the way.

You wake up in an old age home feeling better every day.

Then you get kicked out for being too healthy.

Enjoy your retirement and collect your pension.

Then when you start work, you get a gold watch on your first day.

You work 40 years until you’re too young to work.

You get ready for High School: drink alcohol, party, and you’re generally promiscuous.

Then you go to primary school, you become a kid, you play, and you have no responsibilities.

Then you become a baby, and then . . .

You spend your last 9 months floating peacefully in luxury, in spa-like conditions – central heating, room service on tap, and then…

You finish off as an orgasm.

I rest my case

Enjoy life…smile each day, help someone each day, love each day and learn each day.

Dr Eric Shapira

Aging Mentor Services » The Old Guy Says

10 Driving Safety Tips For Older Adults…

Why I want to live my life backwards: