For many people, driving around town, going to work, and running errands is so easy and natural, they don’t even consider how dangerous motorized vehicles can be when a person struggles with operating them correctly. For some elderly individuals, as they’ve aged, they’ve begun to lose the ability to drive when and where they want safely, so it becomes a necessity to help them find other modes of senior transportation to keep them safe, as well as others who use the roadways.

Ten Common Signs that Driving Might be Dangerous for Your Elderly Loved One

Not everyone loses the ability to drive as they age, and not everyone loses all of their ability or at the same time as everyone else. There are great drivers in their 90s and people who shouldn’t drive at all in their 60s.

How do you know if you should talk to your loved one about reducing or eliminating his driving and looking into senior transportation services? Look for some common signs that could indicate that problems are occurring:

1. He’s having more accidents or tickets than usual.
2. The car has dents and dings that he either can’t explain or won’t explain.
3. You’ve noticed he’s forgetting important car care tasks, such as getting oil changes, keeping the gas tank full, or even turning it off after using it.
4. Others have stated that they are scared to ride with him.
5. He’s complaining a lot about the driving habits of others. While other drivers can often be at fault, it might also be that your loved one is not able to react as quickly as needed to other drivers or is missing cues provided (such as a turn signal or a honking horn) that other drivers are providing.
6. He’s getting lost more often. If your loved one is struggling to remember how to get to and from a familiar location, it could be causing distracted driving while he’s trying to navigate places that now look unfamiliar.
7. He’s easily distracted when driving and cannot have a conversation with another person while he’s driving or attempt to change a radio station or adjust the interior temperature. He needs to be able to multitask to some degree when driving.
8. He has a health condition that could impede his safe driving skills. From an inability to see well at night to hearing problems to back problems, all of these can interfere with his ability to safely be on the roads.
9. He takes medication that lists drowsiness as a possible side effect. Even if your loved one is not feeling tired at home after taking his medication, he might become sleepy behind the wheel.
10. He’s creating reasons not to drive. Your loved one may not be ready yet to say he doesn’t feel comfortable driving, so he might start creating excuses to not go places where he has to be the driver.

Finding Reliable Senior Transportation Help for Your Elderly Senior

While you might be able to assist your elderly loved one with some of their transportation needs, it can become a lot of extra time and energy, especially if you have other daily obligations, such as work or family. A home care agency can step in and help your loved one when they need senior transportation services to their appointments or to run errands.

Home care providers supply safe and reliable senior transportation, so you don’t worry about your loved one when you can’t be there.

If you or an aging loved one is considering Senior Transportation in Carlsbad, CA, please contact the caring staff at A Passion for Care today. Call (858) 798-5005

A Passion for Care is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving San Diego, La Jolla, Del Mar, Rancho Bernardo, Encinitas, Oceanside, Rancho Santa Fe, Point Loma, and surrounding areas.

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Pat Melzer

Owner at A Passion for Care

Like many people in the senior care business, founder Pat Melzer was motivated by personal experience to start an in-home senior service business in 2010. After watching chronic conditions, dementia, and surgeries take over the life of her once very intelligent and lively mother-in-law, Pat saw the enormity of the need for better in-home care. Drawing on her 23 years of experience in the computer industry as a software product manager, engineering manager and computer programmer, she decided to develop best practices to build an organization that provides truly excellent, personalized care. Throughout the company’s history, Pat has been personally and professionally committed to ensuring your loved one receives the quality care they deserve. With often heroic efforts by the staff and dedicated caregivers, the vision has become a reality to be very proud of.

Making the transition to a completely new industry brought the opportunity to learn and grow, which continues still today. Pat studied Gerontology in San Diego State University’s certificate program and became licensed as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA), a Home Health Aide (HHA), and completed the California Certification Program for Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCCFE) as a Certified Administrator. She presented workshops at Aging in America Conference four years in a row and served as Chair of the San Diego Regional Home Care Council 2019-2020 and was the education board member for several years. More recently, Pat became a Certified Senior Advisor and was a San Diego Business Journal “50 over 50 2022 Women of Influence Honoree”.

Pat and her husband Roland have lived outside San Diego in the San Pasqual Valley for over three decades. She has two children who are grown professionals and three grandchildren. Pat enjoys traveling to, and visits from, family and friends throughout the year. While at home in San Pasqual Valley, she and Roland enjoy peaceful views and exploring the surrounding valleys.

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