While our family was serving as urban missionaries in Brooklyn, New York, we had the privilege of getting to know another family who had \u201cfelt the call\u201d to minister in that area. The couple, along with their two teenage children, had left their farm out West to serve on staff at a drug rehabilitation center. We had some great times of fellowship during their four-year term and kept in touch after they returned home.<\/p>\n
This lovely family had been back on their farm for less than a year when I received a letter from the wife. It was the day before Thanksgiving, and though I was busy with preparations, I stopped to read her always-welcome correspondence. When I tore open the envelope, a piece of paper fell out onto the floor and I retrieved it, noting it was a newspaper clipping. Opening it, I was shocked and saddened to see that it was a newspaper copy of her daughter\u2019s obituary. Through my tears, I read the letter. The daughter, now 21 and a student, was returning to nursing school on a Sunday afternoon after a weekend at home. As she drove along a vast expanse of divided highway in that sparsely populated area, a 91-year old woman who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s was going the wrong way. She hit this young girls\u2019 car head-on; both of them died instantly.<\/p>\n
This happened before I became a caregiver or a nurse, but I remember asking myself, \u201cWhy was this woman allowed to drive?\u201d This was a tragedy that should have, and could have been prevented.<\/p>\n
The privilege of driving is held in high-esteem from age sixteen throughout adult life. Most people respect this right, but driving-related accident statistics reveal many abuse it.<\/p>\n
In memory of this life lost too early, today I appeal to caregivers of those who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s or other dementias to seriously consider what steps should be taken to protect your loved one from a similar incident.<\/p>\n
Safe driving requires competence, concentration, spatial skills, and a quick reaction time. These abilities tend to decline with age and along with other cognitive functions can slowly \u2013 or in some cases, radically \u2013 deteriorate when dementia is part of the equation. Available research suggests that driving with Alzheimer\u2019s increases involvement in vehicle accidents. Studies have also shown that drivers with even mild dementia are more prone to miscalculations on the road and have twice as many \u201cclose calls\u201d as drivers who do not have dementia.<\/p>\n
The American Academy of Neurology reports that one of the best predictors of diminished driving ability is a caregiver\u2019s assessment. If the caregiver, especially a spouse, deems that his or her loved one with dementia is no longer a safe driver, the caregiver is probably accurate. This professional medical society suggests asking this question: \u201cWould you feel safe having your children or grandchildren driven by this person?\u201d If your answer is \u201cno\u201d they recommend that it is time for your loved one to retire from driving.<\/p>\n
Making this decision can be difficult for the caregiver and loved one, but not making it can have dire consequences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
While our family was serving as urban missionaries in Brooklyn, New York, we had the privilege of getting to know another family who had \u201cfelt the call\u201d to minister in that area. The couple, along with their two teenage children, had left their farm out West to serve on staff at a drug rehabilitation center. We had some great times of fellowship during their four-year term and kept in touch after they returned home. This lovely family had been back…<\/p>\n