Driving with Alzheimer's Disease

DRIVING WITH ALZHEIMER'S OR DEMENTIA

Driving represents independence, competence and control. It's a way to access healthcare, buy necessities, be productive and stay connected to family, friends and the community. Concerns about driving often surface during the early stages of dementia when individuals are still independent and able to manage daily activities.

This disease is not like other changes in later life that affect driving, such as eyesight problems and slow reaction times.

Many older adults who don't have dementia can assess their driving without family intervention and make gradual changes to the way they drive. And most are able to continue driving safely throughout their lives.

It's different for those with Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias. The progression of this disease is usually gradual and somewhat unpredictable. It affects many of the cognitive functions critical to driving.

Everyone with Alzheimer's Disease or other irreversible causes of dementia will eventually lose the ability to drive safely, due to problems with judgment, multi-tasking, slowed reaction times, impaired spatial skills and other cognitive deficits.

A diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or dementia does not automatically mean an end to driving, but because there is no test to determine when people with dementia should no longer get behind the wheel, families need help deciding when to take away the keys.

All people with Alzheimer's will eventually be unable to drive. That does not mean they can't drive early on in the disease as everyone takes a different course.

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With dementia, an individual's capacity to assess his or her driving abilities may also diminish. People with dementia are especially likely to minimize the complexity of driving and overestimate their abilities. They may make excuses for their high-risk driving.

As driving skills decline, the risk of serious loss or injury increases. Family and caregivers must step in and assume the responsibility for monitoring and regulating the driving of the person with dementia.