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Do You Know the Signs of an Unsafe Older Driver?
Doctors can make really bad patients when they become senile because they are used to having most people listen to them. My cantakerous physican father practiced into his mid-80s and refused to give up his car keys even though he had been involved in 4 minor accidents within a year. We were all scared that the next accident might not be so minor. My brother's inspired action was simply exchanged the keys to my father's car for for keys that fit a car he no longer owned. We expected him to resort to 30 minute long tirades since he often had them over every little thing whether it had anything to do with him or not. Imagine our surprise when all he did complain a bit. We think he was a bit embarrassed that he could not figure it out. As his senility progressed he soon forgot all about it. I hope this makes it easier for someone else to deal with a similar problem.
We had the problem with both my mother and my mother-in-law. In my mother's case someone called the DMV. They pulled her in for a road test and pulled her license. In my mother-in-law's when she was hospitalized last fall, in the process she lose her only set of keys. Thank heavens because she thought she was ready to drive when she got through the recovery process she was totally unable to drive and we would have had a fight on our hands. In both cases we waited too long and luckily there were no consequences. The next problem will be me. Now I only drive short trips and only if it needs to be done and my wife is not available. Trips are a mile or so and I am unable to walk that far. We are both watching me and if either one determines that I have gone too far I will stop driving immediately.
3 months ago
The problem with these quizzes is they assume all situations are the same. Also, they are NOT always the only answer. To say that an answer is incorrect is to ascribe an absolute to a situation that calls for judgment, not a cookbook. And, lastly, checking with the doctor is usually a waste of time. To assume the average doc has any significant expertise in this area is simply feeding the "doctor is god" theory.