Tag: Elder Care in Eagan MN

From December 5th to 11th, Older Driver Safety Awareness Week draws attention to the steps families can take to ensure their parents are safe drivers. Looking at some of the facts regarding older drivers can help you better understand the pros and cons of allowing your parents to continue driving.

Around 30 Million Drivers Are 70 or Older

According to the Federal Highway Administration, around 30 million drivers are 70 or older. At the same time, crashes with older drivers are more likely to result in severe or fatal injuries. Much of this comes down to underlying health issues, such as bone strength allowing bones to fracture easily.

Crash Rates Are Declining

While accidents are more likely to lead to severe injuries, crash rates are declining in older adults. This comes down to enhanced safety features in cars. Many of today’s cars have backup cameras, self-parking, front-end collision warning, braking assist, and blind-spot indicators.

Right-of-Way Errors Are the Most Common Cause of Crashes With Older Drivers

Failing to yield right-of-way correctly causes the most errors among older drivers. It often comes down to not checking blind spots thoroughly or incorrectly judging the distance or space between cars.

Some Common Health Conditions Impact Safe Driving

Research finds that older adults with arthritis or cognitive impairment are more likely to impact how well a person can drive. The good news is that older adults are also more likely to stop driving if they learn they have a health condition that can impact their driving ability.

Older Drivers Set Limits Regarding When to Drive

Studies find that older adults are embracing the habit of only driving in daylight. If your mom or dad feels safer only operating a car in the daytime, that’s normal. Make sure they have someone available to drive them if they need to go out early in the morning or after the sunset.

Medication Side Effects Can Impact Driving Skills

Some medications have side effects that make driving unsafe. If your parents’ prescriptions cause drowsiness or nausea, they shouldn’t drive until the side effects pass. Sometimes, they shouldn’t drive at all. This increases the need for transportation services from an elder care agency.

Transportation Services Enhance Safety

Every driver is different. If you believe it’s time for your mom or dad to hand over the keys, make sure they know they still enjoy their freedom. With elder care transportation services, they’ll have a caregiver to drive them around. Talk to an elder care specialist to learn more.

Sources:
https://www.iihs.org/topics/older-drivers

If you or an aging loved one is considering elder care in Eagan, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.

If you and your aging family member have disagreed about whether she should stop driving or not, it might be time to talk about what she gains by no longer being in the driver’s seat. She’s really not giving up her independence or losing much of anything else, either, even though it might feel that way at first. Looking a little more closely at the benefits of being a passenger can be liberating for her.

Not Driving Can Be Less Expensive

It’s amazingly expensive to drive, especially if your elderly family member is dealing with higher insurance rates or if she’s been getting tickets for driving errors. Then you have to factor in the costs of keeping a vehicle road worthy as well. In the long run, it can be much more cost effective for your elderly family member to stop driving.

She Doesn’t Have to Stress out about Driving

It can be incredibly stressful for your senior to drive, especially if she’s dealing with health challenges that are making driving more difficult. One of the best things about giving up driving is that she doesn’t have to experience that specific stress any longer. Other people can take over the driving and she can relax instead.

You Might Find it’s Easier to Relax, Too

When your elderly family member is no longer in the driver’s seat, that can be a huge relief for you as well. It’s just as stressful for you to worry that she might end up in an accident or lost somewhere and have to wait for help as it is for her. Handing those keys over to someone else gives you a chance to take a deep breath.

Transportation Doesn’t Have to Be a Problem

The most important benefit is that your senior can have all of these results and transportation still doesn’t have to be an issue. She doesn’t have to stay at home simply because she doesn’t drive any longer. Handing over the driving duties to elder care providers offers your senior even more benefits, because they can help her with so much more besides driving, too.

It’s hard to see benefits to a perceived loss, which is what happens when your elderly family member faces no longer driving. This can truly be a fantastic decision for her, but she may need to take a little bit of time to see that for herself.

If you or an aging loved one is considering elder care in Eagan, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.