You might have been waffling with yourself about whether it’s time to talk to your elderly family member about her ability to drive and that’s normal. If you’ve got any concerns at all, though, it’s time to take that plunge.
Take Some Trips Together as a Passenger
If it’s been a while since you last rode along as a passenger with your senior, now might be the right time to remedy that. As a passenger, you’re going to get a firsthand look at your senior’s current ability to drive. You want to be careful not to critique her driving at this stage because you’re trying to determine if she’s okay behind the wheel. All bets are off if she’s in imminent danger, however.
Would You Keep Anyone from Riding with Her?
Maybe your senior is doing fairly well when you’re riding along with her, but there’s another factor to consider. Think about whether you might keep anyone from riding in the car when your senior is driving. If you’ve got children or if there’s someone else you’re concerned about and you wouldn’t let them ride with your senior, you might want to take a pause and consider the overall situation some more.
Look at Her Overall Health
Your senior’s overall health matters a lot when it comes to driving. If her health is steadily deteriorating, there might be some concern about her ability to drive. This might be a conversation to have with your senior’s doctor, as well. Getting an accurate prognosis can help you and your senior to decide together whether it might be time for her to spend more time as a passenger than as a driver from here on out.
Give Your Senior Options
The last thing that you want to do is to leave your senior feeling as if you’re deliberately trying to strand her or to leave her stuck at home. You need to ensure that she’s got options that help her to stay as mobile as she wants to be. One option that can work really well is to hire home care providers to help with driving tasks. They can help with other tasks, too, but having them available whenever your senior wants to go somewhere means that she’s never stranded.
It’s understandable if you’re a little nervous about having this conversation. It can be a really touchy topic for your senior and it might feel better to just put it off, but you need to address anything that feels unsafe.
If you or a family member are in need of hiring Home Care Services in Aventura, FL, call the caring professionals at Star Multi Care today at (954) 870-4770. Providing service in Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Weston, Southwest Ranches, Pembroke Pines, Cooper City, Lighthouse Point, and Wilton Manors.
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