Dealing With Dimentia in a Parent - How Do You Take the Car Keys Away From Dad?

I subscribe to a number of daily newsletter. One face of this morning with a problem many vintages now treated. When it is time to take the car keys away from your old parents?

The article's author describes how his father with dementia and very difficult to treat. The older man insisted on driving his car to continue in spite of some serious accidents. "He's a terrible driver, and I know he will probably hurt someone else. What can I do tohim from the street? "

When our parents grow older, occasional memory lapses are of course, but dementia is a very serious disease that affects a person's judgment. If you know that with your mother in danger, hurt themselves or others, you have no choice, you must act.

In our family we had to deal with this in a variety of ways. When my aunt went missing 82 for a whole day because she had driven to downtown and she could not find the way back, her son decided toIt was time to act. He wanted to treat them with respect and not to dictate what they do or not do. He tries to talk to her about it, so the decision to discontinue the journey to her. But she stubbornly insisted she was fine. Do they know would never stop unless their car was disabled, he quietly removed her car alternator. The next day, when she went to start the car, the engine would not be turned around. When she told them her son, he put them down and said he would repair the car, but of course he hasnever. Instead, he volunteered to drive her whenever he could, and arrange for the Senior Center van to get her for their weekly shopping trips. Although they lost some of their independence, they believed that they could still do their errands, and visit their friends.

In the case of my father, we were very happy. At the time he was in the early '80s, it was clear that he does not drive any more. One day he drove his friends at their monthly meeting, the church and parked the car nearby. The carwas stolen. Honest. We did not arrange the theft, but were grateful it had happened. No confrontation needed. He decided a new car was not worth the effort or money and let it all go.

Not drive in these two cases of elderly parents finally make peace with the decision. But if your parents are driving more and more serious concern to you and they will not volunteer to take the car, you need to call your local motor vehicle department and report the problem. It isnot the easiest solution, but others as an authority, they can convince the ability to stop the older man always on the road.

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