Four Things to Try if Your Senior Won’t Stop Driving

If your elderly family member is determined to keep driving, you might have already tried logic, appealing to her emotions, and a host of other possibilities. But that doesn’t mean they got you anywhere. You may have to try some other options that are a little more complicated.

See if Her Doctor Has Any Pull with Her

Your elderly family member may not want to listen to you about driving, but there might be someone else she will listen to. If her doctor is able to convince your elderly family member to reconsider driving, this is worth a shot. Let her doctor know what you’ve talked about with your senior. There may be some other suggestions that her doctor can make that help you to get your point across.

Relocate the Car

Seeing the car, right there in the driveway or the garage, may be a reminder that your elderly family member and you could do without. If every time she sees the car she remembers that she wants to drive, it might be worth figuring out where else you can park the car. Talk to family members or friends who might have some space you could borrow for a little while. See if moving the car has the effect you’ve been trying to achieve.

Talk to Someone at the DMV

If your elderly family member knows that she no longer has a valid driver’s license, that may be enough to keep her from driving, too. Talk to someone at the Department of Motor Vehicles. They may be able to revoke her license based on some of her health issues. Or they may require her to take a written test, a driving test, or both in order to keep her license. The benefit of that is that you’ve got an impartial entity judging your senior’s ability to keep driving.

You May Have to Sell the Car

Finally, you may have to outright sell the car. Your elderly family member may no longer have a license and even that may not matter to her. Not having access to a car at all may be what finally gets through to her that you’re serious. If you don’t have the legal ability to sell your senior’s car, this may not be possible, though.

It’s not easy to have to tell your senior that she can’t do some things, including driving. As her caregiver, though, you’re responsible for helping her to stay as safe as possible.

If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring caregivers in Mesa, AZ, please call the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Scottsdale at (480) 284-7360. We are here to help!