Here’s Why You Must Monitor Your Mom’s Ability to Drive

By Julie McCormick, Co-Owner | August 31, 2017 | Comments Off on Here’s Why You Must Monitor Your Mom’s Ability to Drive
Home Health Care in Frederick County VA: Your Senior And Her Driving Abilities

Home Health Care in Frederick County VA: Your Senior And Her Driving Abilities

Do you actively monitor your mom’s driving skills?  Does she automatically ask you to drive when you go out together?  If you always drive, it’s unlikely you’ve seen how she reacts to urgent situations when driving.  It’s not easy, but it’s essential that you see how well she is driving.  If she’s having a hard time with reaction times, checking her blind spot, accelerating and braking, or staying in her lane, it’s time to pull her keys.


Real Stories Show Why It’s so Important

This July, there have been news stories around the country that demonstrate why it’s vital for adult children to check their parents’ driving skills.

 


Here are a few of them…

  • -On July 14th, an elderly woman mistook her brake and accelerator and drove right into a 7-Eleven store in Mesa, Arizona. While no one within the store was hurt, the elderly driver was taken to the hospital to be checked out. She admitted she hit the gas instead of the brake when she was trying to park.
  • -A similar situation happened earlier in the month when a 73-year-old Colorado driver accelerated when she meant to put on the brakes. She went airborne and crashed through a fence and into an in-ground pool. She was removed from the pool and vehicle by witnesses.
  • -In Richmond, Virginia, an elderly man admitted to hitting the gas instead of the brakes. He drove into bleachers where he pinned two women watching a professional soccer game. Both women were taken to the hospital.
  • -One of the most publicized cases happened in 2003. An 89-year-old man inadvertently accelerated through a California farmer’s market and killed 10 people while injuring more than 60 others. He was issued to pay just under $100,000 in fines, penalties, and funds for the victims. He was also sentenced to five years of felony probation.


Imagine How It Would Affect Your Family

Imagine how it would feel to know your mom’s driving skills put her life and the lives of others at risk.  That should be enough to prompt you to drive with her.  Taking her keys away will be one of the hardest things you’ll ever do, but it’s also one of the most important.

Once your mom is no longer driving, she will need others to drive her to stores, appointments, and fun activities.  Senior care agencies are one of the best ways to arrange transportation.  Your mom gets a caregiver for companionship and safe rides to and from her destination.  Call a senior care agency to learn more.

 

If you or an aging loved-one are considering home health care in Frederick County, VA, please contact the caring staff at LivinRite Home Care.
Call Us Today at (703) 634-9991.
Serving Northern Virginia, The Valley, and Surrounding Communities.

Sources:
http://www.azfamily.com/story/35888898/elderly-woman-crashed-car-into-mesa-7-eleven
http://kdvr.com/2017/07/03/driver-hits-gas-instead-of-brakes-plunges-into-cheyenne-mountain-resort-swimming-pool/
http://wtvr.com/2017/06/19/driver-hits-gas-instead-of-brakes-strikes-2-women-at-kickers-game/
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/no-jail-for-elderly-driver-in-market-crash/

 

Julie McCormick, Co-Owner
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Posted in Home Health Care in Frederick County VA, Senior Safety and tagged