Program encourages family members to talk with older adults about driving

Parents don’t hesitate to talk with their teenagers about staying safe when they’re behind the wheel.
The opposite seems to be the case when it comes to addressing the same topic with senior citizens.
“The reality is 95 percent of them haven’t even had those conversations,” Jeffrey Shilling said.
He is owner of the Bethel Park and Washington County offices of Omaha, Neb.-based Home Instead Senior Care, which commissioned a recent study of older adults in the United States and Canada regarding their perceptions of driving and possibly being advised to cease.
While the vast majority reported they have not yet talked to their family members about the topic, 31 percent indicated that such talks would make them reconsider continuing to drive.
To help bridge the gap and provide insight as to how to broach the subject, Home Instead has launched a public education program, “Let’s Talk About Driving.”
“It’s to promote the idea of having a conversation with Mom and Dad, rather than dictating to Mom and Dad,” Shilling explained. “It becomes more of a compromise than backing them into a corner.”
According to the Home Instead survey, in which New Jersey market study firm Braun Research completed telephone interviews with a random sample of 600 senior citizens, nearly 90 percent of aging adults rely on their cars and driving to stay independent. But they often recognize that the onset of certain mental and cognitive conditions can begin to compromise safety.
“Mom and Dad often times are relieved to have that conversation,” Shilling said. “Every day, they’re feeling more and more anxious about driving.”
Rather than ceasing driving completely, some solutions might be to add senior-friendly safety features to a vehicle or enrolling in a senior-oriented safety class.
As part of the “Let’s Talk About Driving” program, Home Instead provides these warning signs regarding older drivers:
• 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.
• Trouble turning to see when backing up. Aging may compromise mobility and impact important movements needed to drive safely. Fortunately, newer vehicles offer backup cameras and assistive technologies that can help older adults continue to drive safely.
• Confusing the gas and brake pedals. Dementia can lead to a senior being confused about how his or her car operates.
• Increased irritation and agitation when driving. Poor health or chronic pain can trigger increased agitation that may, in turn, lead to poor judgment on the road.
• 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, with no turning arrow.
• Parking gone awry. Difficulty parking, including parallel parking, could cause damage to an older adult’s vehicle as well as to those around it.
• 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.
• Delayed reaction and response time. Aging slows response times, which can create a situation where an older adult may cause an accident or be unable to respond quickly enough to prevent a crash.
• Driving at the wrong speed. Driving too fast or too slow could be indicators that a driver’s judgment may be impaired.
• Riding the brake, which could be a sign that a driver no longer has confidence in his or her skills.
For more information, visit www.LetsTalkAboutDriving.com.