Let's Talk About Driving: Plan Ahead to Help Keep Seniors Independent, Safe on the Road
Home Instead Senior Care Encourages Conversation about Driving Cessation
OMAHA, Neb., June 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A new scratch on the bumper or avoiding activities that require leaving home are often the first signs that families should talk with their aging parents about driving. Unfortunately, those conversations are not happening enough.
A new surveyi by Home Instead Inc., franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care® franchise network that provides in-home care services to seniors, found that 95 percent of the surveyed seniors have not talked to their loved ones about driving, though nearly one-third (31 percent) said that a recommendation from family or friends that they transition from driving would make them reconsider driving.
"As adults, we don't hesitate to talk to our teenage children about driving, but when we need to address concerns with our own parents, we drop the ball," said Elin Schold Davis, occupational therapist and project coordinator for the Older Drive Initiative of the American Occupational Therapy Association. "We know that discussing driving with aging loved ones reduces their discomfort around limiting or stopping their driving. Often, families just need to know how to start the dialogue."
Nearly 90 percent of aging adults rely on their cars and driving to stay independent, according to the survey. Though many seniors 70 and older are able to drive safely into their later years, it is critical for families to have a plan in place before a medical or cognitive condition makes it unsafe for their senior loved one to get behind the wheel.
To help families navigate these sensitive conversations about driving cessation, Home Instead collaborated with Schold Davis to launch a new community education program, Let's Talk About DrivingSM, available at www.LetsTalkAboutDriving.com. The program offers free resources and tips to help families build a roadmap with their senior loved ones for limiting or stopping driving when the time is right.
"We're passionate about helping seniors live comfortably and stay independent as long as possible, and losing the ability to drive is often a life-changing experience for seniors," said Jeff Huber, president and CEO of Home Instead, Inc. "Having a proactive discussion with aging adults allows them to take ownership of when and why driving should be reduced, and keeps seniors safe and independent."
Additional warning signs that seniors may be unsafe on the road include physical changes that impair older adults' ability to turn when backing up, increased agitation when driving, difficulty staying in lanes and delayed reaction and response time. The overarching solution to keeping seniors safe and independent is to develop an objective process to assess a loved one's driving abilities, communicate concerns and plan ways to transition driving practices.
A key component of the Let's Talk About Driving program is the Safe Driving Planner, developed to help families identify their senior loved one's current driving abilities. The free web-based tool includes conversation starters and tips to help families build a roadmap with their senior loved ones for reducing or stopping driving. Additional free resources available at www.LetsTalkAboutDriving.com include:
- Warning signs that seniors may be unsafe on the road,
- Suggestions for easing driving transitions for seniors, and
- Vehicle technologies that can help keep aging adults safe on the road.
To explore the Safe Driving Planner and other resources, visit www.LetsTalkAboutDriving.com.
*Braun Research completed telephone interviews with a random sample of 600 North American seniors in the United States and Canada to identify their perceptions and habits regarding driving and driving cessation. Only seniors aged 70 and older who had a valid driver's license and continued to drive, or are former drivers, were interviewed. The research was conducted on behalf of Home Instead, Inc.
ABOUT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE
Founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, by Lori and Paul Hogan, the Home Instead Senior Care® network provides personalized care, support and education to help enhance the lives of aging adults and their families. Today, this network is the world's leading provider of in-home care services for seniors, with more than 1,000 independently owned and operated franchises that are estimated to annually provide more than 60 million hours of care throughout the United States and 12 other countries. Local Home Instead Senior Care offices employ approximately 65,000 CAREGiversSM worldwide who provide basic support services that enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. The Home Instead Senior Care network strives to partner with each client and his or her family members to help meet that individual's needs. Services span the care continuum -- from providing companionship and personal care to specialized Alzheimer's care and hospice support. Also available are family caregiver education and support resources. At Home Instead Senior Care, it's relationship before task, while striving to provide superior quality service. For more information, visit homeinstead.com.
i Braun Research completed telephone interviews with a random sample of 600 North American seniors in the United States and Canada to identify their perceptions and habits regarding driving and driving cessation. Only seniors aged 70 and older who had a valid driver's license and continued to drive, or are former drivers, were interviewed. The research was conducted on behalf of Home Instead, Inc.
SOURCE Home Instead Senior Care
Share this article