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[From
the Shared Experiences: Suggestions for those with
Alzheimer Disease booklet and audiotape by the Alzheimer
Society of Canada. To get a copy, contact your local
Alzheimer Society.]
Driving
and Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease gradually affects the skills and abilities needed
for driving:
- memory
- judgment
- visual
perception
- spatial
perception
- the
ability to read signs
- the
ability to understand directions
- orientation
(a sense of place/time)
- physical
co-ordination
Signs
that driving abilities are declining:
- traffic
violations
- accidents
- getting
lost
- misjudging
distances
- forgetting
the rules of the road
- slow
response times
- taking
too long to reach a destination
At
some point, it will no longer be safe for you to drive.
By that time, the disease may have affected your ability
to understand why you have to give up driving.
Things
to consider now:
- Ask
someone you know if he or she has noticed changes in
your driving.
- Arrange
for driver testing.
- Ask
family members and friends to drive you where you need
to go, or use public transit and take taxis.
Giving
up driving may be one of the most stressful events you
experience, but, in the end, your privilege to drive
has to be measured against your safety and the safety
of others.
For
more information, see the Ethical
Guideline on Driving.
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