When is it Time to Give Up the Keys?
There’s no easy way to have this conversation with your spouse, parent, or especially yourself, but there comes a time in many seniors’ lives where driving simply isn’t safe any longer. Physical illnesses, declining awareness or vision changes can all compromise your ability to protect yourself and others behind the wheel.
Knowing that simple truth doesn’t make the decision any easier, though. Driving is a fundamental part of independence and security, and its loss signals a transition into a different and more interdependent phase of life you might not be emotionally prepared for.
What’s more, many Americans live in places where it’s the only reliable transportation option, and without a plan in place, many fundamental services and tasks can fall through the cracks of simply needing a ride. In fact, a study from the National Aging and Disability Center shows that “older adult non-drivers take 15% fewer trips to the doctor, 65% fewer trips to visit family, friends, church, and 60% fewer shopping trips” than their driving counterparts. This reduction has a tremendous impact on overall wellbeing.
Now, this is not at all to say that you’re doomed to be housebound as soon as you start having trouble night-driving! Instead, this is all to demonstrate the fundamental importance of understanding your situation’s strengths and limitations, and making a solid and well-rounded plan that keeps you in touch with your community and your own care.
Find the Problem, Find the Adaptation
The first step is to help determine where your driving skills really stand. Talk openly with those you spend time with and ask if they’ve noticed any change in response time or dexterity, and keep up with your medical exams to ensure your doctors don’t have any concerns.
It’s also a good idea to know the laws surrounding aging and driving in your area – many states require that seniors renew their licenses or even take road tests after a set age, so brush up on the rules and make sure your license and tests are up to date. (This will have the added advantage of having an expert evaluation.)
Now it’s time to apply what you’ve learned about yourself and your skillset, to your situation and surroundings.
For example, if you really are only having trouble driving at night but can see perfectly well during the day, then you only need to adapt your habits to suit this one need. Most doctor appointments and church services take place during the day, and you can purposefully schedule your shopping and other errands to suit the same schedule, so most of your health and tangible needs can still be met in this way.
Perhaps instead you find yourself having trouble with longer errands or highways, but short and simple in-town trips are still safe and feasible. In that case, the adaptation is to ensure you’re planning your errands around a short area, and beginning to think longer-term about the errands you know are going to be further away.
If your family or friends tend to get together in the evenings or if you attend a church or community gathering that’s too far away for safety, be vocal about your desire to continue to attend. Don’t be tempted to let social gatherings fall to the wayside because getting there has become more difficult; your emotional wellbeing is just as important (and completely tied into) your physical health, and your loved ones want to make sure you’re taken care of. Move the gatherings to your house, or carpool to the movies; just simply let folks know that driving at night isn’t safe for you, and they’ll be happy to ensure you get there another way.
Widen Your Scope
If the issues are extending into the daytime or just around the block, and starting to keep you from driving altogether, then it’s best to make longer-term plans for how you’re going to get your needs met. This requires a full evaluation of your community, its resources, and your ability to access these things. Check into your insurance’s transportation resources for medical transportation, call your county health department to see what proactive health programs they have transportation to and from, or check out private medical transport options.
The important part is that you pre-plan what you’re going to rely on so you have time to familiarize yourself with how it works and what you’re going to need for it.
Change Your Environment
Finally, if you’re in a more rural area or aren’t comfortable accessing the options above, or if you simply want to adapt to your changing circumstances while still ensuring you have a well-rounded daily life, consider the possibility of relocating into a more self-contained 55+ community whose amenities and resources are easily accessible by golf cart or community shuttle. These communities come in many forms and sizes, and with some dedicated and thoughtful research (and Senior Resort Living, of course!) you can choose along with your family and financial plan where you want to center your next adventure.
