Passenger seat Driver !!!

[Necion]

Had to share an experience told to me by a friend, whose dad has AD.

Friend had taken mum & dad shopping, dad in front seat of car, mum in back.
Pulling out from the junction...safely between oncoming cars, fortunately in a 40 mph speed limit....dad put on the handbrake (it's one of those new-fangled push-button ones apparantly)
Although the car stalled, thankfully, nothing worse happened, other than irate & fist-weilding other drivers, but friend got a really bad scare!

Dad's going in the back from now on I assume.

Really made me think about hidden dangers.

Love to all, Necion. x

 

[elaine n]

Ah!..........Hadn't thought of that one! i always put the central locking on because Gary uses the door handle to try and open the window

 

[Necion]

Hi all, please forgive me for being cheeky & bringing this to the top again, think I may have got my timing a bit wrong, posting over the weekend.
Love Necion. x

 

[Feezee]

I was taking my dad in a hire car to a funeral, I was driving in the dark, my dad in the front passenger. He openned the passenger door instead of the window trying to throw something out the window.

Argh! That was a shock.
The rest of the journey I made sure the lock overide was on.

Feezee

 

[Meercat]

My husbands grandmother was very put out and sulked for ages when she went to get out the rear of the car and couldn't because her daughter had put the child lock on, so she didn't 'fall out' mid journey

 

[Tigress Twicker]

My partner with dementia still drives ...

My husband, still in earlier to middle stages of the illness [aged 69], is still allowed just about to drive our car. He only does local trips in this area which he knows - we've lived here for 45 years. Usually it works out OK if he meets me from the station or church. Also going supermarket shopping together is OK - sometimes I drive, but I'm less confident than he is!

We had a disaster the other day - we took our cat to the vet's - hubby dropped me there, then waited at home for me to ring to be collected. This worked in February last. But this time, he drove past the vet's and never came in for me. I rang home, and he tried again - I waited near the vet's door, only to see him drive merrily past, not stopping. In desperation I got the bus back, with cat [had to change a tenner and pay, as I'd left my freedom pass at home]. When I got off bus, I rang to ask husband to meet me to walk our big neuter male cat home - and I berated him [I know I should not have!] for this, but decided we can't do this again.

Puss is due to go back to vet's for his booster etc next month - this time, either we go together, or I will say 'I'll get the bus home.' It's a question of knowing when some activity has to come to an end. Next year hubby will be 70 - they will probably stop him driving [which he still excels at] - and I, a 'rabbit' late driver, will have to carry on with doing all our driving till I am 70, and the DVLA will probably stop me then!

 

[Necion]

Hi Tigress, Yes, there's no manual to read to know when & where the next 'strange' thing happens!

Good to hear you husband is still fine to drive, and I hope you don't mind me confessing to a chukkle at the vision of you watching him "drive merrily past"
No offence meant, and I hope none taken, just that sometimes the 'happenings' are a bit like something out of a carry-on film!

You and poor puss had a journey and a half that day!!
Take care all,
Love, Necion. x

 

[Necion]

After reading Sallys' recent post on another thread, I'm just popping this to the fore again. The thought of what could have happened to my friends' family still gives me the heebeejeebies

Love, Necion. x

 

[Onlyme]

I used to put the central locking on so Mum couldn't open the car doors when we were going along. She still managed to lean on the window button and open it. This was then followed by her screaming at me that I was trying to freeze her to death and when I said she had done it she had another rant that I was trying to make her look stupid. Sometimes all mod cons and AD don't mix.

 

[imac.girll1]

Dear Necion and Lemony, we have just handed back our Motability car that had the push button handbrake, admittedly i loved it and to be honest not sure how your dad managed to get to it if it happened to be the Citroen as it is a distance away, although there are other cars i am sure have it in a different place.

My father who had Alzheimers and towards the end Lewy Bodies, when his car was removed from him , i always put him in the back with the child locks on, again the same thing again, opening door to open window mid journey refusing to wear seatbelt and then opening door to put seatbelt on mid journey, after he had taken it off.

Having been a nanny for over 20 years, i was very tempted to sit him the baby seat i still had and strap him in, but thought that might be taking it a step too far!!!!!!

Cars and Dementia really doesn't mix, at a certain stage!

xx

 

[Issy]

'who would like to ride with me?'

My husband still 'drives' , if you can call it that. It can be very scary to sit along side him, as it is as though it was his first driving lesson. He needs to be reminded of most hazards and wobbles the stearing about on the road. Last time he asked me where the headlights switch was and after that 'how do I put on the wipers?'We seem to get to places somehow. I know it will be a huge battle to ask him to give up driving altogether as we live off bus routes. When I drive, I then get the detailed driving lesson and he reminds me of every speed restriction!
wonderful, Issy