Dementia and driving

[Norrms]

DEMETIA AND DRIVING



WOW!! This is such a divisive subject but I feel it’s something we need to chat about.
QUESTION? After receiving a diagnosis of dementia should they, with the diagnosis, give up Driving?
Ans? (My own personal answer only and in my humble opinion) is a straight YES without a doubt.
The reason in my eyes is simple, as a person living with dementia I could not, would not and should not be allowed anywhere near sitting behind the wheel of a car as my reactions, my spatial awareness, my confusions and so much more would be an incredible danger to all on the road. As a family man myself just the thought of hurting a child or anyone else with a car and the damage it can do abhors me and frightens me to death and it should others.


Question ? if your given a diagnosis or dementia does your Dr automatically contact the DVLA and tell them ??

Answer is ?? Incredibly NO?? I find this absolutely disgusting because, say, if you have an epileptic fit you are banned automatically from driving for 12 months, please will somebody tell me what the difference is? Either way you are a danger not only to yourself but also the general public. Dementia, after all is just another illness and needs to be treated as such. I know a lot will come back and say what about their independence, their way of life, confidence, it’s something they have always done, and I do appreciate that, but what about the consequences? What about those, who get a visit at the door from our wonderful police force to give you the bad news that a loved one has just been killed, or is in hospital with life changing injuries? How can anybody justify that when it could have been so easily avoided?

I have heard so many reasons in the past why they should be allowed to drive after diagnosis and I have listened to all of them, but at the end of the day they are still in charge of a huge machine which can do so much damage to many when the confusion descends, it really is as simple as that. One of the most incredible reason’s I heard of and is sadly still used today is..

“They only have a touch of dementia” “A touch of dementia? Is that the same as being a TOUCH PREGNANT?


I have never heard anything so ridiculous in my life, how can you have a Touch of dementia when it’s a terminal disease, do people get a Touch of Cancer?? No, they don’t so I find it absolutely incredible some people still think like this in this day and age. Nobody is saying is not hard to adjust to not driving when you have done it most of your life, especially when there is only one in the relationship that drives but it really is something that has to be done. You wouldn’t, or shouldn`t knowingly get in a car with someone who has been drinking would you? So again, please explain to me what the difference is? Giving up driving is extremely hard and that’s so appreciated but so is being told you have a terminal disease of dementia and there is no cure. There shouldn’t be any choice in this, it applies to many other illnesses and so it should regarding dementia. Maybe something our local MPs should be lobbying the government about to Save lives?
Till next time

 

[Jaded'n'faded]

I completely agree with you @Norrms

I've posted a few times on TP saying very much the same thing. Although a person in the early stages may be perfectly capable of driving safely, the problem is that no ones knows when that will change. And it WILL change. One day the person will be fine, the next day they are definitely not fine. The day before they forget a familar route, go through a red light, didn't see that car coming or made a huge misjudgement... they were perfectly fine.

So that's why an immediate ban should happen following diagnosis.

 

[Scarlet Lady]

Norrms, thank you so much for such a rational, impassioned plea. I couldn’t agree more. This afternoon, I’ve had a conversation with my decorator which highlights the dangers involved in allowing people to continue driving when they absolutely shouldn’t.
My decorator’s wife (mid forties) has recently been released from hospital after three months. She was knocked down and almost killed by an 84 year old man, who had cancer, dementia and was blind. His family understood all of this, yet nobody tried to stop him. The police took away his licence immediately. He was charged, but died of cancer before anything much could happen. In the meantime, decorator has struggled to maintain his business while caring single handedly for his young child. His wife, while making a good recovery, will nevertheless be permanently disabled.
My decorator is awaiting the outcome of an insurance claim . The family of the assailant are getting on with their lives as before. Please, everyone, if you have any doubts about a loved one’s ability to drive, DO SOMETHING.

 

[Norrms]

Thank you both xxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Norrms]

Thank you xx

 

[MatthewB]

I'm understand you point my wife is agree so much. I'm still drive but just the logging roads family don't wantg me going to town. I would never wasn't hurt nobody. I just go up to the woods feel like my old self a while.

 

[Tom56]

Wife has early onset dementia (awaiting official diagnosis). GP recommended no driving, though she seems quite capable of driving., the problem is she gets lost when left alone and cant remember where the car is parked.

 

[Norrms]

Nobody should drive with a diagnosis

 

[Tom56]

Even before the diagnosis. It’s not worth the risk to self or others.

 

[Sighthoundmum]

My grandmother and her boyfriend lived 2 hours away from us. When we wnt to visit, we noticed how bad his driving had gotten. He refused to see a problem. Tried reporting him to the DVLA, but they needed his driving license number. Wrote a letter to his Dr in desperation. she must have been concerned, because she phoned up to ask us some additional questions. Next thing we know he had a letter to report for a driving test. He literally had to start the car, make a turn, and park. Thats it. They passed him. The man couldn't remember that to drive home from the local cafe, he turned left, drove 300 yards, then left again. Not even something that simple.
I resorted to hiding his keys when I was down there, but my grandmother kept finding them and giving them back. Her concern was, selfishly, who was going to drive her around. I'd like to point out they had plenty of money for taxis, bus, etc.
I'm also a little salty. My last car (new, sob) was written of by a little old lady. Not sure if she had dementia, but she got very confused and mixed up the brake and accelerator in her automatic. Kept pushing the accelerator until she'd managed to move my car 90 degrees and get her own wedged between mine and the wall. Got her out through the boot. She was absolutely fine, but her family came and told me afterwards that she'd surrendered her license.
I know there's arguments about independence, routine etc, but just no. If you can't drive because you are impaired by drink or drugs, having a health condition should be no different

 

[Norrms]

I agreee xx

 

[PeteMid]

I was diagnosed with young-onset dementia four years ago. I still drive.

Many of us are still driving quite safely.

We do not become dangerous and incapable from the moment we are diagnosed; it is ridiculous to assume that we do, and it shows a lack of knowledge of the breadth and variety of dementia-related symptoms.

I have coping strategies that allow me to continue driving safely and I continue to monitor my performance closely.

 

[Lawson58]

I knew my husband was unfit to drive long before his diagnosis of dementia. I insisted that I drive everywhere which caused great conflict between us. I reported this to our local licensing authority (in Australia) but all they did was send a medical form to our GP who had no idea of whether my husband was a good/bad driver so totally inappropriate.

When the consultant made the diagnosis of dementia, he was required by law to make a report and then my husband was required to undergo an assessment. This was a very expensive exercise involving a visit from an Occupational Therapist, two driving lessons then a driving test which he failed miserably. He protested of course but the suspension of his licence came from them, not me and he has not driven since.

It is tough but it’s about keeping everybody safe.

 

[yosser]

Hello my friend, 100% correct . Handed mine in once I had been diagnosed with Vascular Dementia, that was three & half years ago now. Just recently I helped a friend of my wife, try & find her car in a car park. She was telling me her short term memory is very bad, also had a seizure, they only took her license for six months. After talking to her i suggested she could either get a doctors appointment, or the local brain clinic. Because there was no way should she have been driving.

 

[PeteMid]

I knew my husband was unfit to drive long before his diagnosis of dementia. I insisted that I drive everywhere which caused great conflict between us. I reported this to our local licensing authority (in Australia) but all they did was send a medical form to our GP who had no idea of whether my husband was a good/bad driver so totally inappropriate.

When the consultant made the diagnosis of dementia, he was required by law to make a report and then my husband was required to undergo an assessment. This was a very expensive exercise involving a visit from an Occupational Therapist, two driving lessons then a driving test which he failed miserably. He protested of course but the suspension of his licence came from them, not me and he has not driven since.

It is tough but it’s about keeping everybody safe.

Here in the UK, a driving assessment is free if a medical professional makes the referral.

 

[PeteMid]

Hello my friend, 100% correct . Handed mine in once I had been diagnosed with Vascular Dementia, that was three & half years ago now. Just recently I helped a friend of my wife, try & find her car in a car park. She was telling me her short term memory is very bad, also had a seizure, they only took her license for six months. After talking to her i suggested she could either get a doctors appointment, or the local brain clinic. Because there was no way should she have been driving.

We are all different Yosser.
That's why there is a driving assessment.
To put a blanket ban on EVERYONE the moment they are diagnosed is clinically and morally wrong.

 

[Lawson58]

Here in the UK, a driving assessment is free if a medical professional makes the referral.

I think here they make everyone pay up for the assessment in the hope that if referred by a consultant, they won’t bother and will just surrender their licence without argument.

 

[Jaded'n'faded]

We are all different Yosser.
That's why there is a driving assessment.
To put a blanket ban on EVERYONE the moment they are diagnosed is clinically and morally wrong.

The thing is, will you recognise when you become unsafe to drive? Inevitably that time will come but you don't know when, and that is the problem. I appreciate it takes away a lot of your independence, but better safe than sorry. People who have epilepsy are probably excellent drivers but because they don't know when they will have the next seizure, they cannot drive unless they haven't had one for (I think) at least a year. Dementia can change suddenly and I would hate for you to give up driving only after an accident

It isn't a moral judgement.

 

[UncleP477y]

As Norrms mentioned in his post it is far more difficult to get a person with dementia off the road. Back in 1989 after I had my second suspected seizure and before I was diagnosed as having epilepsy my GP warned me to stop driving and told me if she found out I was still driving she would not hesitate to report me to the DVLA.

In contrast, an acquaintance told me about the nightmare of getting her mother off the road when she was diagnosed as having dementia. All the GP would do was ask the mother if she felt alright driving (of course she said yes) and a couple of days later my friend would receive a phone call from her brother informing her that their mother had ended up 40 miles from home unable to find her way back.

This is a very difficult matter as some people are still fit to drive but I think it would be fairer to stop people with dementia from driving once diagnosed until they can prove they are still safe to do so and then put them on a medically restricted license of 1, 2 or 3 years.

At the end of the day, driving is a privilege, not a right.

 

[Lawson58]

As Norrms mentioned in his post it is far more difficult to get a person with dementia off the road. Back in 1989 after I had my second suspected seizure and before I was diagnosed as having epilepsy my GP warned me to stop driving and told me if she found out I was still driving she would not hesitate to report me to the DVLA.

In contrast, an acquaintance told me about the nightmare of getting her mother off the road when she was diagnosed as having dementia. All the GP would do was ask the mother if she felt alright driving (of course she said yes) and a couple of days later my friend would receive a phone call from her brother informing her that their mother had ended up 40 miles from home unable to find her way back.

This is a very difficult matter as some people are still fit to drive but I think it would be fairer to stop people with dementia from driving once diagnosed until they can prove they are still safe to do so and then put them on a medically restricted license of 1, 2 or 3 years.

At the end of the day, driving is a privilege, not a right.

My husband’s driving caused many arguments between us and he hated me whenI insisted on driving everywhere. He simply didn’t see the cars he almost hit and couldn‘t understand whether he had to turn right at the lights or go straight ahead. He just couldn’t see the problems so thought that I was making it all up. In a situation like that I was happy to pay for an assessment and had a little word with the Occupational Therapist on the side to help things along a bit.