Planning should be a driving force behind taking away the car keys

Driving demands quick reaction time and fast decision making — because of this, a person with Alzheimer’s will eventually become unable to drive. Families should talk openly about driving soon after an individual receives a diagnosis so everyone is prepared.
Visit our Dementia & Driving Resource Center >>

A Supportive Conversation: Frank has early stage Alzheimer’s and the doctor said it’s no longer safe for him to drive. His wife doesn’t drive, but knows it’s time to discuss finding alternative transportation. Full Screen

Having the conversation

Losing the independence driving provides can be upsetting. It is important to acknowledge a person’s feelings and preserve his or her independence, while ensuring the person’s safety and the safety of others.
Starting the conversation

• Initiate a dialogue to express your concerns. Stress the positive and offer alternatives.
• Address resistance while reaffirming your unconditional love and support.
• Appeal to the person’s sense of responsibility.
• Reinforce medical diagnoses and directives. Ask the physician to write a letter stating that the person must not drive. Or ask the physician to write a prescription that says, “No driving.” You can then use the letter or prescription to reinforce the conversation.
• Consider an evaluation by an objective third party.
• Understand that this may be the first of many conversations about driving

When the conversation does not go well
Some people give up driving easily, but for others this transition can be very difficult. Be prepared for the person to become angry with you, due to the memory and insight issues that are part of Alzheimer’s.

• Be patient and firm. Demonstrate understanding and empathy.
• Acknowledge the pain of this change and appeal to the person’s desire to act responsibly.
• Ask a respected family authority figure or your attorney to reinforce the message about not driving.
• If the conversation does not go well, do not blame yourself. The disease can impair insight and judgment, making it difficult for people to understand that their driving is no longer safe. Also the disease can cause mood and personality changes that make reactions more pronounced.
• As a last resort, take away the car keys, disable the car or remove the car completely. When you do any of these things, be sure to provide safe, reliable alternative transportation.

Planning ahead

For people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, it is never too soon to plan ahead for how you will get around when you can no longer drive. Putting a plan in place can be an empowering way to make your voice heard.

Tips for planning ahead

• Remember that each situation is unique. What works for one person may be different from what works for another. You can get the information and support you need from the Alzheimer’s Association at 800.272.3900.
• Involve family and close friends in the plan.
• Confront resistance. Empathize with those who are uncomfortable having the conversation and stress the importance of preparing for the future.
• Develop an agreement for all to share that includes practical safety steps, such as a periodic driving assessment, a GPS monitoring system for the car, and alternate transportation options.

Transportation options

Sign a driving contract.

A driving contract allows you to share directions for what you would like to happen when you can no longer drive.
Learn more:
Contract (PDF)

Driving is not the only transportation option available. There are many options people can explore that will allow them to continue to travel independently and remain in control of their mobility.

• Transition driving responsibilities to others. Arrange for family members and friends to provide transportation.
• Arrange a taxi service.
• Use special transportation services for older adults. Access local resources using the Eldercare Locator at www.eldercare.gov or use our Community Resource Finder to search for transportation services.
• Reduce the need to drive by having prescription medicines, groceries or meals delivered.

Signs of unsafe driving

Determining when someone can no longer safely drive requires careful observation by family and caregivers. The following list provides warning signs that it’s time to stop driving:

• Forgetting how to locate familiar places
• Failing to observe traffic signs
• Making slow or poor decisions in traffic
• Driving at an inappropriate speed
• Becoming angry or confused while driving
• Hitting curbs
• Using poor lane control
• Making errors at intersections
• Confusing the brake and gas pedals
• Returning from a routine drive later than usual
• Forgetting the destination you are driving to during the trip

Driving evaluation

At the earliest stages, a person with Alzheimer’s disease may begin to have difficulty with complex tasks such as driving. Although family and caregivers can watch for signs of unsafe driving, a proactive strategy would be to get a comprehensive driving evaluation by an occupational therapy driving rehabilitation specialist. The evaluation provides a more objective understanding of the current impact of the disease on driving capacity and results in a plan of options. The goal is always to retain the highest level of independence and mobility in the community. Initial recommendations may include strategies to reduce driving risk during the early part of the disease. The occupational therapist can offer strategies specific to the individual’s goals and needs. The American Occupational Therapy Association website includes a national database of driving specialists as well as a wealth of resources for both persons with Alzheimer’s disease and their families.  

LEARN MORE:
Find a Driving Specialist

http://www.optimumseniorcare.com/services/alzheimerscare.php

http://optimumseniorcare.com/blog/

76 miles, 16 hours and a commitment to end Alzheimer’s

http://blog.alz.org/76-miles-16-hours-and-a-commitment-to-end-alzheimers/

Two best friends from Wisconsin each experienced the pain of watching Alzheimer’s disease take away one of their grandparents. So they made a decision: They would run for an hour at a time on a high school track, alternating shifts for 16 hours on The Longest Day®, the Alzheimer’s Association’s sunrise-to-sunset event to raise money and awareness for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.
Read the blog post >>

After some crazy back and forth emails tossing around ideas, it was decided. We would run for an hour at a time on a high school track, alternating shifts for the entire 16 hours of daylight on the longest day of the year.

Why?  As a way of turning our passion for running into a fundraiser for The Longest Day – a sunrise-to-sunset event to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.

The two of us — best friends from Wisconsin — each experienced the pain of watching Alzheimer’s disease take away one of our grandparents, so this was not only a chance to challenge ourselves through our running but also to honor their memories.

Organizing our event seemed really crazy and far-fetched at first, especially since neither of us had ever tackled anything like it before.

We worried about the timing.

We worried about raising the suggested goal of $100 for each hour that we would be running, $1600 in total.

We also worried about how the day itself would go. Would we be running in circles alone all day, exhausted, feeling like what we were doing didn’t matter?

Sunrise

In the dark hours of the morning of June 20, we headed out alone to the track, not knowing if we could run the distance and not knowing if anyone outside of a few friends would show up to support us. We felt a huge pressure to complete the entire 16 hours of the event to honor people with Alzheimer’s disease and those that care for them all day long, every single day.

We had asked people who pledged to tell us if they were donating in support or memory of someone with Alzheimer’s and almost every single person had a personal connection. We took the names of moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, husbands and wives and wrote each on a piece of paper that we pinned to our shirt. Every few laps around the track, we switched to a different name, and ran each section in remembrance of those lost.

Mother Nature threw us a curveball in normally temperate Wisconsin that day. It was more than 95 degrees, humid, the sun was beating down and a strong wind greeted us each time we rounded the track. It was not an ideal day to run from sunrise to sunset, but we knew the struggle would be nothing compared to the Alzheimer’s battle. What we didn’t know was that so many people would brave the sweltering conditions to support us and our cause.

Sunset

As we set out on the final hours of the day, with heavy legs and blister-covered feet, people started to pull into the tiny parking lot of the track, and one by one, they filtered out to join us.

Some ran beside us, some ran just behind us, but we all ran together.

As the laps ticked by, we weren’t tired; our legs didn’t hurt. We felt like we were being carried by an army of warriors. We have never felt such a profound sense of community – of solidarity. We weren’t running fast, but we were running.

Running the distance

Our fear of running in circles alone all day was unfounded – between the dozens of runners and walkers that showed up, we had at least one person stride-for-stride with us the whole 16 hours!

We also successfully met our fundraising goal. Friends, family, coworkers and even complete strangers showed generosity beyond what we had envisioned.

Looking back now, so much of the day is a joyful blur, yet so much sticks out in our minds. Watching the countdown clock tick away; grabbing a bottle of Gatorade every few laps to stay hydrated; propping up bare feet after each hour on the track; eating a whole jar of pickles — which was the only thing that tasted good after running for six hours; and reading all of the encouraging texts from friends and family who couldn’t be there.

It was such a special day. We really were part of something amazing at that moment in time.

This June 21, we plan to run all 16 hours again, switching off every hour, but we want to challenge ourselves to run even more miles than the 76 miles we traveled on The Longest Day last year.

In challenging ourselves to push further, we hope that we can inspire others to donate, become advocates and join us in working toward a day when no one has to face Alzheimer’s. We are in it until Alzheimer’s is finished.

About the blog authors: Kim Maas and Rachel Degrand are best friends living in Wisconsin. Last year, they ran more than 76 miles as team Running to Remember in the Alzheimer’s Association The Longest Day®, a sunrise-to-sunset event to honor those living with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. This year, on June 21, 2013, they are running even further as part of their commitment to end Alzheimer’s.

http://www.optimumseniorcare.com/services/alzheimerscare.php

http://optimumseniorcare.com/blog/

Do what you love to make a difference

Yvette Holder is participating in The Longest Day to honor her mother-in-law, Virginia, who has been living with Alzheimer’s since 2007. Virginia stays with the family at home, but on The Longest Day, Yvette’s team will be visiting people with Alzheimer’s in a senior care facility, where they will walk, bike, dance and paint with residents. “I love the idea you can do whatever you love to do in this event,” Yvette said.
Visit Yvette’s team page >>

http://www.optimumseniorcare.com/services/alzheimerscare.php

http://optimumseniorcare.com/blog/

Grab friends and family, raise big bucks to fight Alzheimer’s

https://thelongestday.alz.org/home/team/93752?WT.mc_id=enews&utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=enews-take-over

Molly Waugh’s mother was diagnosed with dementia three years ago. On The Longest Day, her family will be biking, paddle boarding and fishing to honor her. And while Molly thought the suggested fundraising goal of $1,600 would be difficult to reach, the team’s total is at $21,000 and counting.
Visit Molly’s team page >>

http://www.optimumseniorcare.com/services/alzheimerscare.php

http://optimumseniorcare.com/blog/

Honor those facing Alzheimer’s on
The Longest Day

https://thelongestday.alz.org/home/started?WT.mc_id=enews&utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=enews-take-over

The Longest Day^® is a sunrise-to-sunset team event held on the summer solstice to honor the strength, passion and endurance of those facing Alzheimer’s disease. On June 21, teams will unite for 16 hours of consecutive activity to raise awareness and funds for the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association. Start a team and join us to show you’re in it until Alzheimer’s is finished.
Get started today >>

http://www.optimumseniorcare.com/services/alzheimerscare.php

http://optimumseniorcare.com/blog/