Taking Away a Parent's Keys..

Good article. I am wrestling with this situation now. I can report my fears to the DOL and they will call her in and retest, but the info on who the "rat" is is not confidential. I can just hear the screaming already. I think this is an instance where the state needs to step in and require testing for those that are >80. In our state 16y/o cannot have passengers in the car until they are 18. If they can regulate that (2nd most accident prone age according to the article), they can certainly come up with something for the elderly.

I had 2 pt's in a room once and we got to talking about how they knew it was time to stop driving (both were in their 80's). One gave up the key's when he nearly ran down a group of people. He realized that he was no-longer fit to drive. He knew it was time.

But not all elders will admit this to themselves, sometimes they have to be told. Sometimes you have to insist. A lot of states will let you report them anonymously, and then take the license away.

It is hard, but when it is time, I will do this for my father. I will not let him kill himself or others because he wont admit he has gotten old.

A scary and sad thought is what if that conversation had not been "nearly ran down a group of people" but had actually done it! That was a very real possibility!

This is a very thought provoking article - especially when you think these people are losing everything at this age - not just a breakdown in their body functions, but also losing their friends and others they care for - to also lose the independance which the automobile has given to us all - It is going to be a sad day for me when it comes


Thanks for sharing this article!

Casemanager, thank you so much for posting that website! I am writing a paper for my english class on that exact subject and I was having trouble finding good,reliable info. You have helped me more than ya know!

I am so sorry about your parents, casemanager. Maybe by your posting that thread, you may have helped someone talk to their parents about taking away the keys. I know I constantly worry about my father, who is 75 and still drives, which is really not that old, but he has several medical problems and I am always worried when he goes out in his car.

One of the best things to do with the elderly and we have had to do it with two elderly relatives is to set up a "cab charge" account for them. It does not take them too long to work out that taking a taxi is cheaper than keeping a car and it still gives them some Independence. Often the elderly have their own routines such as going to church every Sunday and I know that with my Grandmother the one driver used to take her to church every Sunday because he lived down the street anyway so it was guaranteed easy fare each week . It becomes a win/win situation.

My grandmother stopped driving at 80. She had gotten to where she was afraid to drive farther than 4 blocks on back streets to the Winn Dixie store. One day she pulled out, turned the wrong way, got lost and had to flag down a cop to tell her how to get back home.
Shortly after that, I moved her within six blocks of my house, told her the cab co. number and we sold her car. She was in agreement but I am afraid if she wasn't we still would have done it. I told her if you can't find your way home from the same store you've gone to for twenty years, you don't need to be driving!!!