Talking about driving with your aging family member can be a loaded topic. You have to have the conversation, though, especially if you’re concerned that she is not safe to continue driving. There’s a way to approach the conversation that can help you to have better results.

Have a Conversation with Her Doctor, Too

You might want to start with a conversation with your senior’s doctor. This can help you to determine if you’re on the right track with your concern. If there are medical reasons that driving is not a good idea for your elderly family member, her doctor can give you the information that you need. Your elderly family member might not be excited about this, but it’s a necessary step.

Don’t Cherry Pick Situations

Since this talk is about your senior’s ability to keep driving, you need to be sure that you focus the conversation on patterns in her driving habits. If you focus only on isolated situations, that can create some problems communicating. When you focus on the patterns you see in her driving habits, you’re getting to the actual problem rather than skipping over it in favor of something else.

Offer Viable Answers to Problems

The talk isn’t over just by letting your senior know that her driving is a problem and she can’t drive herself any longer. There have to be some solutions to the problem that you’re bringing up. If you don’t offer some answers that are workable, you’re not actually doing anything productive. For instance, hiring elder care providers to take over driving for your senior when she’s having a particularly bad day gives her a solution. Instead of staying stuck at home, she has a driver with that option.

Take a Break if Things Are Getting Loud

If you’re not careful, the conversation can get out of hand quickly. Should that happen, table the talk until later. When you and your senior calm down a little, you can revisit the conversation and try again. But if you go about it the same way, you’re likely to get the same results. Adjust your approach for next time and make sure you’re both in a relaxed and calm mood before you revisit the topic.

Talking about driving, or specifically about quitting driving, is not always an easy conversation for you and your senior to have. Remember to keep compassion in the forefront and let your senior know that you’re concerned about her safety.

If you are considering elder care in Lynchburg, VA for an aging loved one, please talk to the caring staff at Acti-Kare of Blue Ridge. Call 888-451-5273. Our office provides senior care and home care services in the following locations including Blue Ridge, Lynchburg, Salem, Roanoke, Smith Mountain Lake, and Bedford in Virginia.