Dementia / Driving

Marvel1

Get a dashcam, go on a drive with them and any mistakes they make which they shouldn't be doing if they are component enough, show them the footage.

JGB1955

I had a problem with my father driving after his second cataract surgery.  He was convinced he was invincible.  I accompanied him to his subsequent check-up and asked the nurse practitioner about him driving.  She wouldn't commit to an answer, but suggested it 'might not be the best thing to do at the moment'.  Health officials are (understandably) reluctant to make that judgment. There's far too much tip-toing around the subject though.  My father lived in a remote community, refused to believe that taxis and Tesco deliveries could find him..... He was wrong and I was mightily pleased when I eventually sent his driving licence back to DVLA once he was in a care home.  I don't miss his crazy driving... and neither do his neighbours!

Mojisola

The personal knowledge I have of this very difficult subject -

One son (whose mother was a distinctly dangerous driver) disabled his mother's car and got her usual repairer to tell her that he needed to order a part and that its arrival was delayed and delayed and delayed.  In the meantime, son got mother used to using taxis and having lifts and she stopped asking about the car.  

Another one had a serious talk with his father about how awful it would be having to turn up to watch father in court after having an accident and causing injury to other people and how it would be reported in the local paper and everyone would know about it.

Another had a talk with their father's local police officer who called in one day and talked about driving and ageing and suggested that he had an assessment before driving any more.  No assessment was booked - he just stopped driving.

One thing to be aware of is how difficult it can be to adjust to not driving after a lifetime of doing so.  Taxis or lifts to appointments or shopping can work well but, if you find you've run out of milk or just fancy a drive to a local beauty spot to get out of the house, they aren't viable. 

As well as trying to stop someone driving, work on plans to make life easier once the car isn't available.

Ciprico

Thanks for all the comments, for anyone in similar position following this tread he are my replies comments to above. I am not medically trained, but there is no doubt he is affected. (ie he has got lost driving to local shop, and trip he has done 1000's of times, plus all the usual things of putting odd things in odd places around the house).
There is no evidence he is a dangerous driver in that he has not had any near misses or scrapes, but if he did he would struggle to give his address or know what to do, who to call etc.
Imobilising car wouldn't work, he'd call the AA or use his wife's car.
Forcefully taking keys is not an option. From his point of view he is fine, just a bit forgetful. 
It  would be like someone taking your car keys, I imagine you'd object strongly....
Our plan is: He is currently in hospital for unrelated issue (hospital won't get involved in the dementia diagnosis), but on his discharge papers the doctor will order no driving for 6 months. 
In the meantime we'll get him to the "memory clinic", which is a soft name for dementia clinic. He concedes his memory has failed over the last couple of years, so he may go, and the word dementia will not be used...
He doesn't need to drive anywhere, and he was only driving maybe 10 miles a week to same places, so we're hoping the need to have access to a car will fade from his mind, as sadly, so many other things have.

williamgriffin

No driving for for six months, what's he in with? If it's something the dvla need to be notified about then that could buy you an extension on the six months. 

No no need to tell us just check this out. 

https://www.gov.uk/driving-medical-conditions

AdrianC

123mat123 said:

Our plan is: He is currently in hospital for unrelated issue (hospital won't get involved in the dementia diagnosis), but on his discharge papers the doctor will order no driving for 6 months.

You may well find that's all you need. In six months time, if he even asks, just tell him that he's not been given the all-clear yet.

In the meantime we'll get him to the "memory clinic"

I don't know where you are, but if they're anything like the one at Northern General in Sheffield, they'll be brilliant and the best thing you could possibly do for him.

Also - I can't recommend this book highly enough, to help you understand what he's going through, and how best to help him cope...
https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Oliver-James/Contented-Dementia--24-hour-Wraparound-Care-for-Lifelong-Well-being/136788

Mojisola

AdrianC said:

In the meantime we'll get him to the "memory clinic"

I don't know where you are, but if they're anything like the one at Northern General in Sheffield, they'll be brilliant and the best thing you could possibly do for him.

Also - I can't recommend this book highly enough, to help you understand what he's going through, and how best to help him cope...
https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Oliver-James/Contented-Dementia--24-hour-Wraparound-Care-for-Lifelong-Well-being/136788

I second both of these points - the clinic and the book made things much easier. 

elsien

123mat123 said:

Thanks for all the comments, for anyone in similar position following this tread he are my replies comments to above. I am not medically trained, but there is no doubt he is affected. (ie he has got lost driving to local shop, and trip he has done 1000's of times, plus all the usual things of putting odd things in odd places around the house).
There is no evidence he is a dangerous driver in that he has not had any near misses or scrapes, but if he did he would struggle to give his address or know what to do, who to call etc.
Imobilising car wouldn't work, he'd call the AA or use his wife's car.
Forcefully taking keys is not an option. From his point of view he is fine, just a bit forgetful. 
It  would be like someone taking your car keys, I imagine you'd object strongly....
Our plan is: He is currently in hospital for unrelated issue (hospital won't get involved in the dementia diagnosis), but on his discharge papers the doctor will order no driving for 6 months. 
In the meantime we'll get him to the "memory clinic", which is a soft name for dementia clinic. He concedes his memory has failed over the last couple of years, so he may go, and the word dementia will not be used...
He doesn't need to drive anywhere, and he was only driving maybe 10 miles a week to same places, so we're hoping the need to have access to a car will fade from his mind, as sadly, so many other things have.

I do agree with you on the taking keys thing. That is down to his capacity which hasn't been assessed around driving, and the presumption is that someone has capacity until assessed otherwise. Making someone really angry with you doesn't help, when there are likely to be a number of difficult issues to discuss. 
The hospital may not be able to get involved in a formal dementia diagnosis but they do sometimes do MRI/CT scans to see if there are any changes which can be evidenced as part of the physical health checks. Just wondering if that is an avenue you/he could explore to give the memory clinic something to go on after discharge?
Just a word of warning though - in this area the memory clinic has a huge backlog and are only just looking at referrals for last September. So getting the referral in quickly so he is seen during his 6 months medical  non-driving would probably help. 

UncleZen

If and when you get a dementia diagnosis from the memory clinic. They are legally obliged to tell DVLA. at  least his is what happened to us when my wife was diagnosed. She (I) had to apply for an annual licence, which has to be renewed annuall obviously.