Driving

Davie

Registered User
Mar 1, 2009
7
0
Staffordshire
Clive (father in law) is gradually deteriorating though he has a reasonable life at present. My mother in law is worried as he insists that he will drive the 120 miles to Pembrokeshire when we all go on holiday in August. She is worried about his driving now but does not know how to persuade him not to drive. Any ideas as she is becoming very worried about it.?
 

Chrissyan

Registered User
Aug 9, 2007
570
0
65
N E England
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Davie, glad you found us.

Does your Father-in Law have a diagnosis? If he has a diagnosis of dementia then there is a requirement to tell DVLA, sometimes thedoctors do this. DVLA usually writes & revokes the driving license.
 

Sam Iam

Registered User
Sep 29, 2008
3,151
0
62
WEST OF THE MOON
Hi Davie is it possible that you could hire a mini bus and organise the driving and tell your Dad that he is on the bsck-up list incase you get tired, that way your Dad will still feel useful and not as though he is being told what to do.
Best wishes xx
 

Davie

Registered User
Mar 1, 2009
7
0
Staffordshire
Thanks Brucie & Chrissyan.

The consultant said that there was some shrinkage of the brain but the GP called it Alzheimers, so I suppose the diagnosis is not official yet,
Mother in Law only allows him to drive short distances but there has not yet been any specific instances. He has another consultant appointment shortly so I suppose the answer is wait and see at this stage.
Thanks for you help folks.
 

Vonny

Registered User
Feb 3, 2009
4,584
0
Telford
Hi Davey,

Good luck with your consultant's appointment, and let us know how you get on

Best wishes

Vonny xx
 

margaret101

Registered User
Jul 17, 2008
56
0
clacton on sea
I rember when we had an appointment with the consultant
he ask me if I had any conserns I asked him to tell my husband
to stop driving I taught it would be better comeing from him
that way my husband would not be upset with me

So when we were called into his office what did the consultant
say : Your Wife asked me to tell you not to drive anymore :
well to say my husband got upset is an under statment

xxxx marg xxx
 

Davie

Registered User
Mar 1, 2009
7
0
Staffordshire
Thanks

Thanks to everyone who responded you were all a great help. We are amazed by the response. Father in law has now been diagnosed and we are in the process of contacting DVLA and car insurance though the consultant feels he can still drive at present.
Mother in law gets a little depressed as she feels the person she loved is no longer there, However we are OK and thanks again.
 

lesmisralbles

Account Closed
Nov 23, 2007
5,543
0
I did not want it to get to "close call's", or "minor incident's"

does she have reason? Have there been any close calls, minor incidents yet? QUOTE : Bruce


We all know when it is time to stop someone driving. Hand on heart, we do.

Do it now, better now than after an accident.

I understand. It was like cutting Ron's leg's off.

Barb X
 

Countryboy

Registered User
Mar 17, 2005
1,680
0
South West
Hi Davie
First don’t know your father in law’s age but if he is a competent driver
being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s shouldn't make any difference to his driving.
I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2000 and confirmed after brain MRI scans
in 2003, I informed DVLA and I had a licence which only for 12 months to-date I have had nine 12 month licences I have 3 vehicles and drive every day
I have just booked my hired car for our holiday in Majorca so my Alzheimer’s doesn’t effect my driving on the opposite side of the road doesn'y worry me, by the way when I go on holiday I will be 66 years of age so tell father in law to keep driving if he can
 
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susiesue

Registered User
Mar 15, 2007
2,607
0
Herts
My husband was given a 'probable' Alzheimers diagnosis two years ago. We informed the DVLA and insurance company. The DVLA asked him to take a test, which he did and passed. He did have a few problems with the cognitive part of the test but he was told that provided his driving was OK they wouldn't fail him just based on the cognitive part.

This year I had expected him to be asked to take another test. However, the DVLA wrote direct to the Consultant, who replied stating that my husband had Alzheimers (news to us as they told us they could not give a definite diagnosis!). We then received a letter from the DVLA refusing to renew his driving licence and not even giving him the opportunity to take another test, which I felt was most unfair.

I think losing his licence probably hurt him more than anything else that has happened to him - as a result he is now totally dependent on me and he hates it!

Good luck.
 

Countryboy

Registered User
Mar 17, 2005
1,680
0
South West
Hi Sue
I have written and talked to staff from the DVLA medical section asking for my 12 month licence to be extended to at least 3 years the medical board won’t do that because I‘m on Aricept tablets , however the DVLA staff told me that the licence is granted on the strength of the letter from your Doctor
 

living in hope

Registered User
Dec 14, 2008
552
0
73
yorkshire
Hi Davie
Good name (my maiden name), my husband has alzheimers, we notified DVLA on diagnosis and was told on the phone he would get yearly licenses, but then received letter revoking his license, he was not happy, but I took the view it was better than waiting for something to happen, hes only 59 so missed driving for quite a while
Best wishes
Lorraine
 

susiesue

Registered User
Mar 15, 2007
2,607
0
Herts
Hi Tony

Hi Sue
however the DVLA staff told me that the licence is granted on the strength of the letter from your Doctor

Yes, I suppose that is what happened with my husband David. What really annoyed me was that after MRIs, EEGs etc they wrote to us and said they could not definitely diagnose Alzheimers as it was not following the normal pattern - ie mostly affecting his language and hardly affecting his memory. They also told us that the only way one can get a definite diagnosis of Alzheimers is after death to take a brain biopsy!! - I was therefore most surprised and annoyed that they informed the DVLA that David had Alzheimers.

Anyway, what's done is done and in fact we did contact the DVLA and ask them if David could do a test. However, when we received the application form the first question was 'Does your doctor think you are able to drive?' - after that we could not see any point in continuing.....

Enjoy your driving...
 

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