PERSONAL STORIES

If you are still unsure about what driving option would be best for you or your family during this stage of life, you can read about what’s worked for other people:

Kyle, age 74, lives with his oldest son and daughter-in-law. Kyle has always enjoyed driving as it makes him feel young and free. He has early dementia but doesn't believe it has affected his driving ability. His son, however, has noticed that Kyle often gets confused while driving and has even forgotten where he was going. There are also new scrapes and dents on the car that Kyle can't explain. After a tough family conversation, Kyle recognized his family's concern and chose to drive less often and to have a family member accompany him.

Melissa, age 86, enjoys spending time with her group of friends. She lives at a senior apartment community and, despite early dementia, is still able to live alone. Melissa recently totaled her car by running into a light pole in a parking lot because she confused her gas and brake pedal. Thankfully no one was hurt, but the crash made her wonder if she is still a safe driver. She discussed it with her daughter and while they agreed that it’s still important for her to be able to spend time with her friends, it’s probably time to stop driving. Melissa decided to give her car to her grandson and she started using a ride-sharing service to get to and from all her destinations. She’s saving money on the costs of owning a car, which covers her rides to see friends, and she feels less anxious now on the road.

Jerome, age 75, has early dementia and lives with his wife. She's worried about his driving because he seems to get confused by road signs and he almost hit a pedestrian when they were driving to the grocery store. He insists he's fine, but he agrees to talk with his primary care doctor about it. The doctor refers him for an on-road driving test; he has a lot of trouble during the session and the evaluator recommends he stop driving. It makes him sad to think of giving up driving, but he trusts the test results. Jerome and his wife start to have more things delivered - including groceries - and she does the driving when they go out together.