Dementia and driving don’t mix
Hanging up the car keys after the final drive is difficult for anyone – and especially so for people with early onset dementia.
Stopping driving and surrendering your licence is one of the most unwanted rites of passage into older age.
Many older people have been driving since their teens and the motor vehicle has become part of their identity and synonymous with their independence and mobility.
Even those not experiencing dementia experience a loss of independence, shifts in family dynamics, threats to self-identity, feelings of isolation, and reduced mobility.
Dementia can make driving unsafe because it affects the ability to coordinate tasks, including:
Finding your way
Judging distances
Judging the speed of other cars
Hand-eye coordination
Reaction time.
Being diagnosed with dementia does not mean that you must stop driving straight away. But as the disease progresses, in the interests of safety, you will eventually need to stop driving.
If you have dementia, you are required by law to notify your local licensing authority. If you don’t tell the licensing authority, you can be charged with driving offences.
You also need to tell your car insurance company. To keep driving, you will need a medical assessment and annual driving tests. If you are safe to drive, you may obtain a conditional licence.
Hanging up the car keys is even more difficult for people with young onset dementia.
However, all people with dementia, especially early onset dementia, can experience a rapid decline in cognitive abilities and are not in the best position to know and act on the symptoms.
Public safety could be at risk and that must be a prime concern when making the decision.
University of Queensland research has highlighted the need for specialised support services to help people with early onset dementia cope with giving up driving.
Dr Theresa Scott from UQ’s School of Psychology reviewed the experiences of 248 participants across 10 studies from countries including Australia, United Kingdom, United States, Sweden, and Italy.
The study participants had been diagnosed with dementia before the age of 65, and about 60% were male.
“There were some common experiences reported when the participants had to stop driving, including a loss of independence, shifts in family dynamics, threats to self-identity, feelings of isolation, reduced mobility, difficulty accepting their diagnosis, and grief,” Dr Scott said.
“Older people with dementia face similar issues when they have to stop driving, but the circumstances for people with young onset dementia are unique, so more tailored support is needed.”
Lack of insight and impulsiveness are common in forms of dementia that emerge in midlife.
“This lack of insight can make it difficult for people to understand why they need to stop driving, leading to conflicts and additional challenges for family members or carers,” Dr Scott said.
“Younger people with dementia also face the added strain of professional, family and financial responsibilities which can have more of an impact on family than in older people with dementia.”
Almost 29,000 Australians currently live with young onset dementia, with the figure projected to rise to more than 41,000 by 2054.
The researchers concluded that developing new programs to transition away from driving would improve quality of life for this growing population.
But that support is severely lacking, due to the inadequate post-diagnostic and post-driving support for people with young onset dementia and their families.
Dr Scott said this younger group requires age-appropriate psychosocial programs that include educational, emotional, and practical support tailored for their unique challenges.
“We’re hoping to secure funding to adapt and implement UQ’s driving cessation intervention designed for older people with dementia, to suit those with young onset dementia.
“We’re also aiming to develop a video-based driving safety test and resources for primary care providers to assess fitness to drive for people diagnosed with young onset dementia.”
More information about driving and dementia is available here and here.
Related reading: UQ, Health Direct
