Cecily O'Connor
RedwoodAge.com

Of all the tough moments in caring for elderly parents, deciding when to take the car keys away can be among the most heart-wrenching.

Many caregivers, for example, are unsure how long someone in the early stages of Alzheimer's should be entrusted with the keys. Others fear making a move that limits their parents' sense of independence. As a result, people often wait longer than they should. 

"People suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other causes of dementia are driving an average of 10 months longer than their caregivers think is safe," said Jodi Olshevski, corporate gerontologist for The Hartford Financial Services Group.

That gap is one of many issues being highlighted during November, which is designated as National Family Caregivers Month. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) AgeLab, The Hartford, and the Boston University (BU) Alzheimer's Disease Clinical and Research Program, has researched how caregivers approach Alzheimer's, dementia and driving.

They note there is no system in place to determine when someone with memory loss should no longer be behind the wheel. And they point to a need for more caregiver support and resources. 

"Driving beyond when it's safe is not only dangerous to the drivers and those around them, but is enormously stressful for caregivers, even when there is no incident, said Dr. Lisa D'Ambrosio, a research scientist at MIT's AgeLab. 

Caregiver Support
The research project conducted over the past two years focused on three groups of caregivers. The first, the control group, did not receive any information on dementia and driving. A second group received print information on the issue. A third group was invited to take part in educational workshops on dementia and driving. 

Compared to the first two groups, those who attended the four weekly workshops were found to be significantly more confident, better prepared and more likely to address driving-related issues with their relatives who suffer from dementia. 

"Although memory problems are detected early on in dementia, these difficulties don't necessarily make someone an unsafe driver," said Dr. Robert Stern, co-director of BU's Alzheimer's Disease Clinical and Research Program.

"The problem is not just about people getting lost," he said, adding that all dementia patients will eventually lose the ability to drive safely. This is due to problems with judgment, multitasking, slowed reaction times, impaired spatial skills and other cognitive factors.  

That said, a single occurrence of poor driving usually is not enough reason for a person to stop driving. It does, however, trigger the need for increased monitoring. Warning signs of problems include: decrease in confidence while driving, drawing "honks" from others, incorrect signaling, failure to notice traffic signs, near misses and delayed response to unexpected situations. 

Each state's department of motor vehicles encourages friends and family to contact their local branch and provide details about the unsafe driver. Anyone who contacts a DMV driver safety office can request confidentiality, but they must identify themselves to the DMV in a letter.

To better support boomers and other caregivers, the insurance company has introduced free education kits on Alzheimer's, dementia and driving. Resources are focused on topics such as: assessing concerns about driving behavior, transitioning from driver to passenger, seeking help from outside sources and advice from caregivers who have made this decision. 

For more information, check out:

The National Traffic Highway Safety Administration

National Family Caregivers Association