In last week’s blog, I addressed Driving Retirement Part 1 – When to Take the Keys Away from a Senior Loved One, and the signs that may indicate it is time to have a tough conversation about taking the car keys away for driving safety concerns.
In this week’s blog, Driving Retirement Part 2 – Having the Tough Conversation About Taking the Keys Away, I offer advice about having this difficult conversation to help you navigate this sensitive subject for a successful outcome.
You know, your loved one shouldn't be driving any longer, but you're having difficulty having that conversation. This is a tough conversation. This is the last piece of independence that they're hanging on to, and they don't want to hear it.
Many times, I referenced my own mother, and this isn't a funny story, but it did happen one day. I talked to her about her driving and giving up her driver's license, which she didn't want to do.
She told me that she had driven herself to the doctor's office that day, and she only had to pick up her leg once to move it from the gas pedal to the brake. That was more than a little concerning prompting my tough conversation with her that began like this, “If you don't care about yourself, please think about the other people on the road that you might have had an accident with resulting in injuries to yourself or them.”
This is their last bit of independence, so it’s important to have patience and empathy when approaching this subject and having a conversation about driving retirement. They will want to know, how am I going to get to bingo? How am I going to get to the grocery store? How am I going to go get my hair done? I can't go anywhere. I can't rely on people to do all of this for me. And this transitions us into reviewing the options…and there are other options.
Neighbors, friends, and family members can help by taking seniors where they need to go. There are ride-share services, like Uber and Lyft. Fellow parishioners from church are usually more than happy to offer rides.
Plus, Home Helpers® provides transportation assistance for our senior clients, as well. A licensed, bonded, and insured caregiver will ensure your loved one gets to their doctor's appointments, the hair salon, the grocery store, and practically anywhere they need to go.
A great idea is to consider leveraging a doctor's authority. When you take your senior loved one to a doctor's appointment, ask the doctor to reiterate the dangers and concerns of your loved one continuing to drive, especially with the number of distracted drivers on the roadways these days.
Maybe you can speak to the doctor before the appointment. Sometimes, coming from a medical professional, a senior is more willing to accept driving retirement, than if the conversation about giving up their driver’s license comes from a family member.
As I mentioned earlier, a compassionate Home Helpers® caregiver will happily provide transportation assistance for seniors to make sure they safely arrive for doctor appointments and health screenings, visits to the hair salon, the grocery store, the pharmacy, and just about anywhere they need to go!
I gladly offer a FREE Consultation at your convenience to assess specific needs and match the perfect caregiver to make life easier by providing safe transportation assistance and peace of mind for everyone.
We, at Home Helpers® Clearwater, are honored to have been ranked among the Home Care Pulse Top 100 Leaders in Experience for home care providers and to have received these awards in 2024: Best of Home Care® Provider of Choice, the Best of Home Care® Employer of Choice, the Best of Home Care® Leader in Experience, as well as being named a Caring.com 2023 Caring Super Star.
We proudly serve male and female seniors in Clearwater, Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Safety Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Holiday, New Port Richey, Trinity, Port Richey, Hudson, and surrounding areas. Home Helpers®…we are Making Life Easier® 727.942.2539
