Physical Changes and Driving
As your senior ages, her physical abilities can change. While that is pretty obvious to most people, what seems to be a shocker is how those physical changes impact activities like driving. Your senior may still be able to drive for a while, but you’ll need to find some ways to cope.
Home Care Services in Culpeper County VA: Senior Driving
Check out the Car Itself
Some aging adults have held onto the same car for a long time. If that’s the case with your elderly family member, you might be surprised about what her car has and what it doesn’t have. For instance, if her car is old enough, she might not have power steering or power brakes in the car. That can be a big problem. If the car is a more modern model, this isn’t likely a concern for you.
Pain and Stiffness Can Make Driving Difficult
Muscle and joint pain and stiffness are bad enough on their own. But they can make a range of motion much worse than your senior needs it to be in order to be able to drive safely. She may experience greater comfort and ease with driving when her pain and stiffness are under control, which may be a motivation for her to try some solutions that she’s avoided in the past.
Exercise Sometimes Helps
Exercise can be incredibly beneficial in helping your senior to cope with the physical changes that might otherwise kick her out of the driver’s seat. Rebuilding strength that she’s lost, moving her joints more, and improving her range of motion directly impacts her ability to drive. Make sure that you talk with her doctor about any plans to exercise before she actually starts a new exercise plan.
Look into Other Options
It’s a good idea to seek out some other options for transportation as soon as your elderly family member experiences trouble driving. She may not use these options every single time she needs to go somewhere, but it can make both of you feel more secure knowing they’re there. Hiring senior care providers to help out around the house and to handle the driving can be just the right option.
This is likely going to be a time that tries your senior’s patience and your own. It’s difficult to adjust to relying on someone else for transportation and that can become a sore spot for your elderly family member. Talk the situation through with her and let her get her frustration off her chest as often as she needs to, especially if she has to completely stop driving.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care Services in Culpeper County, VA, please contact the caring staff at LivinRite Home Care. Call Us Today at (703) 634-9991.
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