Beyond a doubt, when to hang up the car keys is arguably one of the most stressful decisions a family needs to make. Sometimes we are lucky enough to have our aging loved ones voluntarily stop driving, more often there is stiff resistance to the idea. Driving represents independence as no other issue except maybe control of money. Recognizing the need is hard enough for the family, the aging driver is unlikely to acknowledge the increased challenges unless there is a significant or dramatic incident that is unmistakable.
It is possible to start the conversation related to events in the news. The current high gasoline prices represent a wonderful opportunity to talk about decreasing time behind the wheel. Offer to take your aging loved one to the market when you go as a cost saving measure. Suggest that you will drive them to religious services, to the doctor or wherever else they need to go and you can complete an errand of your own at the same time. Any news item regarding an aging individual who got into trouble driving will also present an opportunity to open the topic for discussion. It also is possible to start the discussion if there is a change in a person’s medical condition that will make it less safe for them to drive.
If you can get the conversation started, consider suggesting a gradual decrease in driving. Limiting driving to daylight hours, close to home and/or familiar destinations is a way to ease into the change.
No comments:
Post a Comment