Our Ask An Angel correspondent is Arlene Petersen, Life Care Navigation Specialist in the area of senior home care.
Q. I have to admit I have been questioning my driving ability. While I canāt fathom the thought of giving it up totally, Iāve made some steps to limit my driving. I donāt drive at night, for example. I know it would mean losing my freedom and that is why I hesitate. My kids are putting the pressure on me on top of it all, and I am not ready to give in. Any suggestions?
A. The āsimpleā task of driving can become a challenge as we get older. When people talk to me about driving, the first item of discussion is safety. It sounds like you are concerned about this, and rightly so! I encourage you to rule out any health issues that may limit your driving ability. For example, how is your vision? Can you see street signs? How is your mobility? Are you able to move freely to look out your rear window? How is your reaction time? You can talk with your doctor about your concerns. Driving skills can be evaluated by an occupational health professional and your doctor can help you with that as well. You might also contact AAA to check the programs they offer for older adults. They are there to help you succeed! If you do have to go out, limit your outings to days when it is clear of bad weather. By being choosy as to when you drive, you can eliminate some insecurity you might have. Take familiar roads and stick to simple routes to get to where you want to go, and avoid high-speed roads if you possibly can. Give yourself extra time when going somewhere so as to limit stress. If your family, friends, or a professional caregiver can help you with transportation, that might be a way to ease into this new season of life. Surrendering the car keys is never easy, but at some point, you may have to cross this bridge. It is best to create a plan now. In this way, you are being proactive about this very important area of your life.
Have a question for our angel correspondent? You can send our angel an email to apetersen@visitingangels.com or send your question via mail to Ask An Angel, 65 Woodbury St., South Elgin, IL 60177.
