Driving With Alzheimer Disease Posted: 09-25-07 12:15pm
My uncle is in his mid 80's and has
dementia/alzheimers. My aunt is till
alive and takes care of him. I am very
worried that he still drives. He doesn't
even know me when I go to see him. He was
my father's brother and was like a father
to me my whole life. I am concerned about
him and my aunt who rides with him. His
son lives around the corner but hasn't
done anything to keep him from driving.
He also has a daughter that lives within 2
hrs of him. Therefore, I don't think it
is any of my business but that doesn't
keep me from worrying. My question is can
alzheimer's patients still drive ok?
Also my husband is 60 and he is becoming
extremely forgetful. He has told me that
it worries him. His driving is terrible
and I am a reck when I ride with him. It
is a joke between the two of us but lately
it isn't funny as we have almost gotten
into accidents several times because he
isn't paying attention. He looks
everywhere but the road. He is still
working and it is becoming bothersome to
him at work. His mother died from the
disease in her early 70s. I took care of
her for 5 years before she died and I know
just how hard it can be to take care of
someone with this disease. Are there any
other early signs I should be looking for
besides the forgetfulness? It has been a
while since I took care of his mother so
I'm afraid I might be missing something.
Any help would be appreciated.
|
Shmoo
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Apr 2008 Posts: 3 Location: Illinois,
Posted: 04-09-08 23:04pm
My father has early onset Alzheimer's. I
went to one of his appointments a while
back, and the doctor said that he was
concerned with his driving because the
disease makes it difficult for him to
multi task. There are too many things that
are going on, and it makes it difficult
for them.
My aunt and dad both had to get into an
accident before they stopped driving for
good. Thankfully, my aunt just hit a
parked car and my dad just hit a building.
They both didn't do much damage, but boy
they were wake up calls.
My grandma's brother just passed away last
week when he was a passenger with his
wife, who has Alzheimer's. She always
wanted to drive.
I would say talk about it. Bring up your
concern. My mom never told my Dad to stop
driving because she didn't want to take
away that freedom from him, but after the
accident she was forced to and my dad
agreed. While the doctor said he didn't
want him driving, my mom still let him.
The site is not a replacement for professional medical opinion, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical doctor or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment or making any changes to existing treatment. Do not delay seeking or disregard medical advice based on information written by any author on this site. No health questions and information on eHealth Forum is regulated or evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore the information should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a medical doctor. Posts made to these forums express the views and opinions of the author, and not the administrators, moderators, or editorial staff and hence eHealth Forum and its principals will accept no liabilities or responsibilities for the statements made.
Schizophreniahealth
This page was last updated on June 11, 2008
