For Elderly, Giving Up Driving Can Be Tough

It's a wrenching decision that doesn't necessarily depend on age, experts say

By Jenifer Goodwin
HealthDay Reporter

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FRIDAY, March 19 (HealthDay News) -- For many Americans, driving equals independence -- the ability to run errands, go to church or visit family and friends as you please. So the decision to hand over the car keys for good can be a difficult one.

To help doctors, seniors and their family members spot the signs of someone who is too old and too frail to drive, the American Medical Association this week released the Physician's Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers. It includes screening tests, information about medical conditions and medications that may impact driving, and ways of talking to seniors about what can be an emotional issue.

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Though largely directed at doctors, the guide is full of information that can help seniors and their families in determining if it's time to park the car in the garage for good, experts say.

"Most of the time, people naturally change their behavior as they get older -- they drive less, they only drive to familiar locations, they don't drive at night," noted Dr. James Goodwin, a professor of geriatrics and director of the Sealy Center on Aging at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. "It only becomes a problem in those who don't make that adjustment, but that is the exception."

Though few like to admit it, aging brings with it physical and mental changes that can compromise driving ability, including changes in vision, cognition (thinking) and motor function, added Dr. James Young, chairman of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Aging eyes can take longer to adjust to changes in lightness and darkness, making glare and night driving more difficult. Cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and stroke can all impact visual perception.

Cognitive declines that come with age can also make driving unsafe. Driving is a complex activity that requires memory, visual processing, attention and executive skills, or the ability to multi-task, according to the AMA report. All of these factors can be affected by medical conditions and medications.

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