Your elderly loved one’s driving abilities is a controversial topic among families. Most families are reluctant to talk to their loved ones about their driving skills. Some families even avoid talking about it altogether. However, assisted living facilities in Boynton Beach area knows that avoiding “the talk” can compromise the safety of your elderly loved one.
3 Ways to Evaluate an Elderly’s Driving Skills
People have different health conditions that may affect their driving safety and age cannot be the only determining factor. Here are three ways to determine whether your elderly loved one is safe to drive or not:
1. Examine at their car and garage.
Inspecting your elderly loved one’s vehicle and garage gives you an idea of how safe they’re driving. If you see more dents and scratches along the side panels, bumpers, and side mirrors, this may be an indication of unsafe driving. Your elderly loved one may have bumped into things without realizing it.
2. Encourage them to have their eyes checked.
Experts say that people should have their eyes checked at least once a year. If your elderly loved one isn’t up to date with his or her eye exams, they may not realize how much their vision has worsened over time. It’s necessary to adjust their driving schedule if their nighttime vision worsened or their peripheral vision decreased.
3. Ride along with them.
The best way to check whether your loved one is a safe driver or not is to ride along with them. How well do they follow traffic rules? Are they able to keep up with the flow of traffic? Pay attention to how well they drive in order to assess if they’re putting themselves at risk whenever they drive.
If you think your elderly loved one is unfit to drive, you might want to contact a local resource to conduct a formal driving assessment. Senior centers, AAA, and your local senior agency are able to assess your loved one’s driving skills without bias.
Assisted Living Facilities in Boynton Beach Area
The assisted living facilities in Boynton Beach area know that senior residents need transportation services. This allows the elderly to safely go to shopping centers, medical appointments, and other activities they may have outside the assisted living facility. If you want to know more about the transportation services of Courtyard Gardens Senior Living, give us a call at (561)317-8902.
