Plenty of the health changes seniors face develop gradually, so they might not realize when they start to affect their ability to drive. Receiving a new diagnosis, having surgery, or taking new medications can also affect driving safety, however. When family caregivers know what to watch for, it’s easier to talk to seniors about what might be happening. And senior home care providers can be there to offer assistance that keeps seniors active and on schedule when they need to limit their driving.
Blood Sugar Swings
Seniors living with diabetes might experience low blood sugar that causes confusion, shakiness, or slowed reaction times. If seniors often have sharp lows, they may not have much warning. Checking blood sugar levels before driving and keeping a snack in the car could be helpful. But if seniors have frequent uncontrolled blood sugar swings, they might want to let elder care providers do the driving.
Heart Trouble
Irregular heartbeats and other heart conditions might cause seniors to faint or feel lightheaded, even while driving. If seniors are prone to dizzy episodes or experience heart-related conditions that make driving unsafe, it’s better for them to avoid getting behind the wheel. Their doctors may want seniors to try new medications and wait until they’re stable to resume driving.
Sleep Problems and Daytime Sleepiness
So many issues can contribute to poor sleep, like insomnia, pain, or breathing illnesses. Bad sleep can turn into another problem during the day called daytime sleepiness. Nodding off at home isn’t a big deal. But doing so behind the wheel could be catastrophic. It’s much better if seniors experience frequent issues with daytime sleepiness to enlist the help of senior home care providers to drive.
Stroke Recovery
Strokes affect vision, reaction time, coordination, and cognitive abilities, even when the stroke is mild and recovery seems to be going well. Many doctors recommend formal driving evaluations and set amounts of time before seniors return to driving after a stroke. Rehabilitation experts may recommend specific therapies or skills that need work before seniors can drive themselves. Letting senior home care providers do the driving means that aging adults can focus on recovery and still go where they need to go.
Tremors and Movement Disorders
Conditions like Parkinson’s disease can cause tremors, stiffness, and slower movement that make driving more difficult. Seniors with these types of health issues may worry that they won’t be able to drive safely, especially if it’s more difficult to check blind spots or steer the car. Many conditions that cause tremors and trouble with movement progress slowly, so seniors may have some time before they have to consider giving up their car keys.
Surgery Recovery
Just about every surgery seniors might have come with at least temporary driving restrictions. This might be because of pain medication or because of the surgery itself. Senior home care providers can help with transportation to follow-up appointments, physical therapy, and errands during recovery. Following the surgeon’s instructions closely can help speed up recovery time for aging adults.
Driving safely depends on overall health, not just how old seniors are. Paying attention to how certain conditions affect safe driving habits helps seniors and family caregivers make the best decisions about driving. Senior home care providers can be there for not just help with driving, but all sorts of other tasks, too.
If you or an aging loved one is considering senior home care in Minnetonka, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.
