Dear Annie: I am a retired RN, and I was interested when one of your readers wrote that if an elderly person falls, they should not be allowed to drive. I am here to tell you there is no direct correlation between falls and driving. Falls for the elderly occur for many reasons — some known and others unknown.
The statement in your column was not qualified. Perhaps it should say that in some cases people should not drive due to a medical condition, such as dizziness, seizures, visual deficits, cardiac condition or medications.
Although the elderly perhaps are known to fall more frequently, the origin of the cause of falling is often unknown. It also may not affect their driving safely. Mobility too may be limited, but that does not necessarily affect one’s safe driving ability.
The fear of drivers causing an accident after a certain age is of course natural, but so are all deaths while behind the wheel, and there are factors other than age that lead to accidents. People are living to an older age, with many having no cognitive deficits. However, some may have slower reflexes.
There are online defensive driving courses for seniors, including ones offered by AAA and AARP for under $30. Completion of the course may give you a discount on insurance premiums. It certainly is a good idea to at least consider these courses even if insurance does not give a discount when you complete the course.
Hope you can use this information. — Older Drivers
Dear Older Drivers: Thank you for this very helpful information. I hope that people look into taking one of the driving courses for seniors. It sounds like it could be very beneficial for everyone. I love hearing from professionals.
Dear Annie: I saw your column where the person who wrote to you was trying to stop an older driver from getting behind the wheel of a car.
My sister had a great solution to the same problem.
Mom (80-plus at the time) went away for a few days, and when she returned, my sister introduced her to “Penny” and said, “You remember Penny? She will drive you wherever you want to go.” She was lucky enough to have someone Mom was familiar with, but that was pre-ride-share services.
I would recommend saying the following to one’s elderly parents: “Hi Mom/Dad. This is your Lyft/Uber app. I/we set up an account for you. Here’s how to use it.” If your loved one is able to get behind the wheel, they can use the app.
Mom wasn’t happy, but “Penny” became a great asset for us and safety for Mom and the public! She died peacefully at 86, never injuring herself or anyone else. — Been There
Dear Been There: What a great solution. I hope your tips inspire others to do the same.
Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.
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