My father with AD and his inability to drive

[NessOD]

Hi everyone,

My father was diagnosed with AD last year and still, although he knows the diagnosis, he doesn't believe he has any symptoms. We asked the GP to tell him he couldn't drive anymore, because we decided he just isn't safe anymore, and my father just wouldn't accept it. So he saw his Consultant and he advised my father to have a driving assessment. We really thought the Consultant would reaffirm what the GP said but he didn't. My problem is that I really think my Father- who really has deteriorated a lot recently and is very confused- will find the whole assessment very stressful and he will be personally very affected if he is told he is not good driver. He is already confused and thinks that an assessment would be for his car and not for him anyway.

Has anyone had any similar experiences or have any advice?

Thank you.

 

[love.dad.but..]

I think that the assessment will no doubt give you the outcome you want...someone else will be giving the bad news to your dad and if he gets upset and cannot understand it reinforces the decision not to let him drive. I don't think it is likely that you can protect him from taking it badly if he does but you can reassure him that he can still be independent...public transport or taxis. I haven't had your experience as such but did stop dad from driving after mum died suddenly and he dramatically declined and I sold his car so it wasn't a trigger for remembering he drove. I wonder if often medics use the refer for assessment as a way of stopping the person from driving as they know they probably won't pass.

 

[Beate]

I understand that it would have been easier for the consultant to agree with you but he hasn't seen your Dad drive, so a driving assessment is the fair thing to do. If he fails but still doesn't accept it, you'll have to resort to stealth and somehow disable the car so it won't start, take the keys off him or remove the car from its usual place and tell him it's in the garage or something.

 

[Grahamstown]

I don’t have any other suggestions for your particular situation but I can say that I have been through a similar experience with my husband. In my case both consultant and GP, in that order, said he should not drive so it wasn’t my initiative. Our children had both said that they thought he shouldn’t drive. I knew he shouldn’t and I was fortunate that he accepted it. He still says that he could drive perfectly well and may try and get his license back but he would not be able to actually get the forms, fill them in and send them off. Very sad but he copes with the bus at the moment just along the same route all the time. Good luck with your efforts to get this done.

 

[jane.reynolds]

Hi everyone,

My father was diagnosed with AD last year and still, although he knows the diagnosis, he doesn't believe he has any symptoms. We asked the GP to tell him he couldn't drive anymore, because we decided he just isn't safe anymore, and my father just wouldn't accept it. So he saw his Consultant and he advised my father to have a driving assessment. We really thought the Consultant would reaffirm what the GP said but he didn't. My problem is that I really think my Father- who really has deteriorated a lot recently and is very confused- will find the whole assessment very stressful and he will be personally very affected if he is told he is not good driver. He is already confused and thinks that an assessment would be for his car and not for him anyway.

Has anyone had any similar experiences or have any advice?

Thank you.

my mum has been diagnosed just recently with AD, I was advised to inform the DVLA and they have now informed my mum she cannot drive and have revoked her licence. I rang the DVLA and they sent 2 forms one I filled in on behalf of mu mother the other for the doctors to release her medical information. It took about 3 weeks before we found out but it was a relief as I had been telling my mum to give up driving but by letting the DVLA know it was taken out of our hands.
Hope this helps

 

[Kazziek]

I also worry about this as my dad has recently been diagnosed with AD but lives an hour away from me currently which will be difficult if he can’t drive but I think if I try to talk to him about moving as well as accepting his diagnosis he is going to get very stressed

 

[Duggies-girl]

I was in this position and it took a crisis to stop dad from driving. He had dents on all four corners, drivers door and front wing were caved in and he had written off a tyre when he hit a traffic island so he was driving on a space saver wheel. He finally mislaid his car when he parked it in town. This was my chance to confiscate the car when it was found and get dad to the doctors to investigate the dizziness that made him lose the car. That was his excuse anyway so I grabbed it.

It could have been so much worse and I should have stopped him from driving much earlier. It was such a relief when the doctor told him not to drive anymore and I am so glad that this happened. Dad would have continued to drive otherwise and something awful would have happened and I would have been responsible because I knew he should not be driving.

If you have any doubts then you must stop the person driving. Just report them to the DVLA I should have done that and it is anonymous. We were lucky and I realise that now.

 

[Jale]

No experience but I think you should notify the DVLA and also your dad's insurance company must be advised of the diagnosis as well - failure to do so could possibly void the insurance if there was an accident.

 

[Helly68]

We found the DVLA surprisingly helpful in several situations. You do have to notify them and suspect they will say the same as to so may avoid the stress of an assessment. After the DVLA revoked my mum's licence we hid the car keys so she couldn't try and drive.