AUTOMOBILIES
Whether as the driver or passenger, automobile travel can present some special challenges for the dementia patient.
The following websites discuss these challenges and provide some good advice for addressing them:
There exist several difficult milestones during the journey with dementia. One particularly difficult decision comes when the caregiver realizes that it is no longer safe for the patient to continue driving. Unfortunately, this realization rarely occurs to the dementia patient and, more often than not, results in a combative confrontation.
As discussed in the resources shown below, a compassionate and gentle approach can soften the push-back, and that compassion is more easily shown when the caregiver understands why this is such an emotionally charged restriction for the patient to accept.
In our society, the ability to drive oneself represents independence and self-sufficiency. Losing the privilege of driving is often the first action that signals to the patient that he is no longer able to care for himself. For many men who grew up in a time when the man in the family did all the driving, being driven by his wife can result in a significant loss of self-esteem.
The safety risks (both to the driver and others) of a cognitively impaired person operating a vehicle may seem obvious. Perhaps not quite as obvious is the legal and financial risk. A caregiver who knowingly provides (or allows) access to driving to a cognitively impaired person takes on a heightened level of legal and financial risk should that impaired driver injure someone else or cause property damage. Such a situation would be an easy and predictable target for legal action against both the impaired driver and the caregiver who provided access to the driver.
Following are some articles that provide some helpful tips on how to take away the keys without taking away one’s dignity:
Most large metropolitan areas in North Texas have extensive public transportation systems providing bus or train service throughout their communities. The following site lists the major public transportation systems in North Texas:
Some dementia patients may have mobility issues that make it difficult to travel to doctor visits or other necessary appointments. The following websites present some good advice for finding safe and affordable options for non-emergency medical transfers:
Traveling with a dementia patient can present some challenges, especially when the travel includes air travel or overnight stays away from home. The following websites present some good advice for managing these challenges:
