What Health Conditions Affect Senior Driving?

For many seniors, driving is a big part of their identity. What they often don’t count on is that health changes can mean they need to reconsider their time behind the wheel. Understanding which health conditions are most likely to cause them to hand over the keys can be helpful. And just because they’re not driving doesn’t mean that they have to stay home. Home care providers can take over transportation duties, leaving seniors free to enjoy their time as passengers.

Cognitive Changes

Cognitive changes and memory loss can be part of aging, but they can also be indications that seniors are facing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. If seniors start to get lost in familiar areas or have trouble following routine traffic laws, then it might be time to let elder care providers do the driving. Family caregivers may want to talk to their senior’s doctor about when it’s time to give up driving with cognitive changes.

Vision Issues

Clear vision is imperative for safe driving, but seniors may be dealing with cataracts, low vision, and other vision changes that make driving difficult. Other vision issues, like macular degeneration and glaucoma, are serious medical issues that can lead to blindness over time. Seniors with vision trouble may have decreasing clarity of vision over time, giving them plenty of warning that it’s time for someone else to do the driving.

Hearing Trouble

Seniors with hearing loss may still be able to drive longer than they might with vision issues, but it can still cause safety concerns. Seniors with reduced hearing may struggle to hear sirens and other important noises that indicate there’s something going on. Wearing hearing aids can help, and home care providers can help seniors remember to put them on.

Joint Conditions

Joint pain and illnesses, like arthritis, can make it more difficult for seniors to safely control the vehicle. These conditions can also slow down reaction time, increasing the risk seniors might have an accident. Exercise can help, particularly if seniors just experience stiffness and pain in their joints. But letting home care providers do the driving can be more comfortable for aging adults.

Neurological Conditions

Conditions like Parkinson’s disease can cause muscle stiffness and tremors, affecting how well seniors can steer the car and manage other controls. These neurological conditions can sometimes be unpredictable, too, leaving seniors feeling as if they might be stranded if their condition worsens while they’re out and about. Letting home care providers drive eliminates that worry.

Medication Side Effects

If seniors take multiple medications that leave them with side effects, like excessive sleepiness or lightheadedness, then driving may be unsafe. Regular medication reviews can help seniors and family caregivers stay on top of how medications are affecting aging adults, keeping them safer behind the wheel. When those side effects increase, it could be time to stop driving.

Losing the ability to drive doesn’t mean that seniors have to stay home all alone. Home care providers can offer transportation assistance to aging adults, keeping them active and doing all the things that they used to do alone, but more safely.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care in Long Prairie, MN, please contact the caring staff at Alternative Senior Care today.
Providing Home Care in Central Minnesota and Surrounding Communities. Call us today at (320) 352-3350