Newswise, October 9, 2016--How do
you know when it's time for an older adult with mild dementia to stop driving?
Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to
interfere with daily life. It can impact a person's ability to drive safely.
Although all people with dementia
will have to stop driving eventually, each case can be unique based on the
individual. According to a new study published in the Journal of the American
Geriatrics Society, we still need to explore mental or physical tests that can
best predict when people with dementia should stop driving.
People with dementia are between two
and eight times more likely than adults of the same age without dementia to be
involved in car accidents. Since dementia makes it difficult for people to
evaluate their own ability to drive safely, furthermore, the decision about
when to stop driving must be based on objective tests.
To determine which kinds of tests
best evaluate driving safety, researchers from Macquarie University in Sydney,
Australia, reviewed 28 studies that investigated the relationship between
driving and cognitive function in people with dementia.
The study was the first of its kind
to examine drivers with dementia and which existing tests might be most helpful
in assessing their driver safety.
The researchers reviewed studies
that examined various testing methods, including mental status tests, on-road
assessments, tests using computerized and simulated driving, and those using
motor vehicle crash data.
The researchers determined that
current testing procedures are only about 77 percent accurate for predicting
how safely people with dementia can drive.
They concluded that better, more
accurate testing tools are needed to assess whether or not people with dementia
can continue to drive safely. In the interim, older adults and caregivers
should continue to work closely with their healthcare professionals when it
comes to safe driving. Doctors, nurses, social workers, and other experts can
evaluate your abilities and help you transition to driver retirement when the
time is right.
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