Mom, I Have To
Ask You For The Car Keys
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Taking away the car keys:
It's one of the hardest things you'll have to do as a
caregiver. And when circumstances dictate, it's one of
the most important things you'll do to preserve the life
of your loved one and the lives of others.
Remember the elderly man in California who stepped on
the gas instead of the brakes and killed 10 people at an
outdoor market? He injured at least 50 others, as well.
He had a long history of problem driving.
Think abut the last time you saw a small white head
peeping under the steering wheel and creeping 20 mph
under the speed limit as a line of traffic built up
behind? That was someone's parent.
In the past few months I've kept a log of comments from
adult
children about their parents' driving (my thoughts in
parentheses):
Read The Rest...
| Not everything can be changed,
but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
|
Does your elder (or
anyone else you know) have trouble getting out of the
car? The armrests they put on cars these days don't give
much support, and they're too low. Try rolling down the
window. With the window down it's easy to grab onto the
door for support. Hold the door until your passenger is
steady and can move safely away from the car. Then roll
up the window and away you go. Use the same technique
for
getting into the car.
We have a number of
articles on the subject of caring for older adults. Some
have appeared in this newsletter, some haven't.
Browse around as much as you'd like.
