Hearing and dementia driving assessment

[Skylark/2]

Good morning everyone
Can anyone tell me if hearing ability is part of the assessment test please.
My husband had his test a few weeks ago and part of the cognitive testing before the actual driving test was that the woman stood in front of him ‘ clicking ‘ her fingers, by the side of his head and asking my husband to just look straight ahead and point when he was aware if she was ‘ clicking’ her fingers left, right or together. He seemed confused/ anxious so she stood behind him and the driving assessor sat in front of him, asking him to look at her and the test was repeated. At the end of the total assessment he was told he’d failed. Since then he is angry ( it’s a fix, the test is rubbish, they don’t know what they are doing etc.,) and is going to write a letter complaining. We are waiting for their report to be posted to us. I got the impression that it wasn’t his hearing they were testing but maybe spacial awareness……but what do I know. Husband so angry, home life is very tense at the moment!

 

[Grannie G]

Hello @Skylark/2

I`m not a driver so have no experience of these tests.

I imagine it is not the duty of the examiners to be kind or sensitive, it is their duty to be sure the person is fit to drive.

I know that might sound hurtful to someone with dementia but being unfit to drive could cause more than hurt feelings to a third party.

What is so sad is the hurt and frustration your husband feels is taken out on you when you have enough to manage and have no power to make things better, even if you would want to.

I have lived with the level of tension you are experiencing and it`s no fun.

 

[TheNightshade2021]

Good morning everyone
Can anyone tell me if hearing ability is part of the assessment test please.
My husband had his test a few weeks ago and part of the cognitive testing before the actual driving test was that the woman stood in front of him ‘ clicking ‘ her fingers, by the side of his head and asking my husband to just look straight ahead and point when he was aware if she was ‘ clicking’ her fingers left, right or together. He seemed confused/ anxious so she stood behind him and the driving assessor sat in front of him, asking him to look at her and the test was repeated. At the end of the total assessment he was told he’d failed. Since then he is angry ( it’s a fix, the test is rubbish, they don’t know what they are doing etc.,) and is going to write a letter complaining. We are waiting for their report to be posted to us. I got the impression that it wasn’t his hearing they were testing but maybe spacial awareness……but what do I know. Husband so angry, home life is very tense at the moment!

This is a constant problem with my husband too! He is fuming cos he loved driving. Its kicked off again this week because my son borrowed "his" car which he paid £600 for". He is now threatening to use it anyway-so I have to hide the keys-but then Im the baddy... good luck its not easy

 

[Skylark/2]

This is a constant problem with my husband too! He is fuming cos he loved driving. Its kicked off again this week because my son borrowed "his" car which he paid £600 for". He is now threatening to use it anyway-so I have to hide the keys-but then Im the baddy... good luck its not easy

Good afternoon,
Thankyou for replying. Here is an update.
We received the assessor’s report ( 2 copies ) which was incredibly detailed. We had to send a copy along with husband’s driving licence to the DVLA and they responded very quickly with a decision. He can no longer drive.
Quite honestly, he blows hot and cold with their decision, sometimes quietly accepting it and other times he gets very annoyed, angry, frustrated. He then says ‘ you’re fine, you can go swanning around in ‘ my ‘ car and I am trapped. A few days ago he said he would sell the car, cutting off his nose to spite his face, but at least I wouldn’t be able to drive! I just shrugged my shoulders and said I’d take a bus! He still makes plans for long driving holidays abroad even though I point out that at 76 , I couldn’t manage it!
As you say it’s not easy.