She's 83 and knows her way around town very well. I've ridden with her and followed her in another car and she really is quite a good driver. Am I nuts or what. Her dementia is now in the aphasia stage that interferes with communication, and is beginning to show some impaired judgement. How do I tell her to stop driving when she gets around so well. Never lost, never careless.
- Doctor told her in person - absolutely no more driving and why.
- We had to have doctor call her several times and put it in writing
- Next the doctor contacted RMV and had her license revoked
- Meanwhile, had to disconnect the battery and take keys as
she was adament she was going to drive and could not be
trusted, unfortunately
I had consulted Elder Services and these were measures recommended by them for resistent elderly. There was hell to pay for this, especially for me as I was always on the receiving end of her anger about this; but we had to do the right thing. I had recently been to my own doctor shortly before this and the nurse told me that morning an elderly person with impairments had hit and killed a police officer on detail at a construction site. He left 3 small children. So, I knew what we had to do not matter what. Take care and hope all goes well.
Giving up driving was probably the single most traumatic and disturbing aspect of dementia to my husband. He mourned his little sports car for a year. But it absolutely had to happen. I am thankful that his doctor handled the breaking of the news.
My heart goes out to you and to your mother at this huge loss in your lives, in this obvious erosion of her independence. Dementia is a very cruel disease, one loss at a time.
Hugs to you.