Sandra Rourke had a difficult series of conversations with her elderly father recently.
“In the last year, he’s come across some health issues where it’s no longer a possibility for him to drive,” said Rourke, program co-ordinator with the Alberta Motor Association.
Rourke spoke with seniors and their families in Red Deer and Cremona from Edmonton via a video-conference hosted at CiRS Community Village, Wednesday afternoon.
The seniors were concerned about the role age was playing in their ability to drive safely.
The initial conversation can be a difficult one to have, because driving often becomes connected to a person’s identity and sense of independence, Rourke said.
“There may be a lot of resistance, because you’re talking about their ability to do what they want to do when they want to do it.”
Rourke said studies suggest about 50 per cent of seniors prefer to have the conversation about age and driving with a trusted spouse or family doctor, rather than their adult children.
“My father had always been the one to guide us, and as those roles started to change and his children were the ones giving him advice . . . at times that change was too much for him to handle,” Rourke said.
She suggested framing the conversation around love and concern for the person and to make it part of a larger dialogue, which may take several attempts to gain traction.
When a senior driver is ready to talk about the possibility of hanging up the keys, the SIMARD (Screen for the Identification of Cognitively Impaired Medically At-Risk Driver) test is a good place to start.
Rourke said the cognitive memory test takes about five minutes and is 90 per cent accurate, but should not be the only screening a person uses to decide if they should stop driving.
“One snapshot often doesn’t give an accurate result for how these individuals are doing when they are out and about,” Rourke said.
She recommends at least three separate tests and consultation with a medical professional before reaching any conclusion.
Rourke said Alberta has no standard testing for medically-at-risk drivers and a common misconception is often made that once someone is reported — by a concerned doctor, family member, police officer or insurance agent — the person’s license is removed immediately.
“When it is notified to Alberta Fitness and Monitoring, they have the final and only say, and the tool they use at present is called DriveAble,” Rourke said.
DriveAble, a computerized cognition test has raised concern with some senior advocacy groups because it alienates seniors who may not be computer-literate and the $250 cost of the test is charged to the driver, Rourke said.
Being proactive and respectfully discussing the big changes that come with no longer being able to drive is something seniors and their families can do to ease the transition for the senior driver, Rourke said.
In Alberta, motorists are given a driver’s medical test at 75 and 80 years-old and then every two years after that.
Rourke said 15 major decisions are made every kilometer a motorist drives and some seniors are no longer able to complete these tasks for a variety of medical and physical reasons.
She also said family members and friends should watch for minor dents on the senior driver’s vehicle, increased anxiety or anger related to driving, a lack of self-confidence behind the wheel, and self-imposed limits or excuses related to destinations, as possible warning signs.
syoung@www.reddeeradvocate.com