My Mother's Journey With Dementia

Cute Driving PICTURE!  Tee hee!

I was doing a bit of reading about the dementia patient and driving again. Recently, I found Alzheimer's reading room. and the site presented a podcast about driving and the dementia patient. Carole B. Larkin is the Geriatric Care Manager for ThirdAge Services, specializing in all forms dementia care.

When we had an in home dementia evaluation we also had a Geriatric Care Manager come to our home. Carole is from Dallas Texas, and that is where my mother whom has dementia was born.

Anyway, here is the podcast about when its time to stop the dementia patient from driving.

Dementia and driving as you can imagine may not be the best combination.  I think we can all giggle at the picture I found today, but on the other hand it can also be a sad reality.

I have to admit I have been in the car with my mother, and so far she hasn't scared me.

I remember going to visit my grandparents for vacation when I was younger, and my grandmother could scare the daylights out of anyone driving.  Heck that was BEFORE the Alzheimer!  I was adult by the time her condition of Alzheimer's changed things, and we always drove after that until they finally took her driving privileges away.

According to the letter I received from my mother's doctor he doesn't seem to think mom should be driving at all.

Mom is a very social creature, and she has always participated in church, AARP functions, and once my father passed away a senior grief group.  She also gets her hair done on a regular basis.

We recently had a new major road in our area completed, and it saves us time for travel at this point.  During the Christmas dinner family members were telling her about the road, but I'm sure at this point if she continues to drive?  She will stick to what she is familiar with.

Tomorrow my brother is taking her to a rehab evaluation test for driving at a hospital.  He told her that this will either keep her insurance rates 'as is', or possibly reduce them.  That maybe true, but we all know the real reason behind this.

My brother called to see how this all works, and they told him they only report directly to the doctor.  I have to admit my heart dropped when I heard that.  I mentioned the doctor's opinion on the subject already.