my father in law is 83 and has had Parkinson's for over a year. 6 months ago he was given medication as his condition has deteriorated. Unfortunately he had a bad reaction to the medication which resulted in a trip to hospital. He was then transferred to a Cottage hospital to have the medication introduced in a controlled environment. he has been home 4 months and in that time he has hardly been mobile at all, we have carers who come twice a day morning and night to change him, we have had problems with incontinence, but our prime concern is his attitude that he can and will drive his car when he wants to.
whilst in hospital I discovered that he had NOT informed his insurance that he had the disease let alone that he had to have medication for it. He refused to inform DVLA until I explained that he was liable for a �1000.00 fine if they found out he had deliberately kept this from them.
He now insists that he has received a letter from the DVLA saying he can drive, but refuses to show us this letter, or to inform his insurance company of his medical status. What infuriates me is that every one form his GP / Parkinson's consultant / hospital doctor etc would have been asked to contribute to the DVLA and their opinions will have borne signifigant wieght to the out come. How on earth can they possibly state on his ability to drive when not one of them have actually assessed him physically?
Personally we do not think he has even had a letter form DVLA, he is just saying he has so he can drive. His reaction time is obviously slower due to age let alone illness, he lives on a busy street, cars / pedestrians / children a recipe for disaster, yet we are powerless to stop him.
Due to problems and changes in both his wife and his mobility etc, we now have a care manager calling weekly, and even she has told him that should she find out he has driven the car she WILL report him as in her opinion he is unfit to drive. His reply to that is she only comes once a week she'll never know!!
All we want is for some practical sense and decisions to be implemented, yet it is grey area after grey area and brick wall after brick wall, leaving us waiting for the day an accident happens, which it will. It will be bad enough if he injures himself or his wife, but God forbid he hurts someone else. Determination in the elderly is a good thing but sheer bloody mindedness and stubborness is not.