Can you force someone to be evaluated for dementia/Alzheimer's?

Good advice from all.

It's true that you can't physically force someone to be evaluated, so getting third party official support is the way to go. If you get support from the DMV by reporting the driving issues maybe they will revoke his license until he's been evaluated.

The original plan was a good one, so it's too bad that his wife told him why he was going to the doctor. But you can't help what's been done. I'd try calling the DMV and reporting him. Other than that, you may not be able to do too much since you aren't his spouse. If his wife will allow you to literally take away the keys and/or disable the car that may help but he'll make her life very difficult so she's likely to cave.

Good luck with this frustrating problem. He needs to be off the road and you need official backup to do it. It's easy to watch videos that tell you to "talk with him," but as you're finding out, it's not that simple. I hope your DMV will back you up.

Keep us posted on how this goes!
Carol

Call your primary care doc. Tell him/her that you need help getting him to stop driving. Whether or not he has a dementia diagnosis is really irrelevant at this point. You need to get him off the road. I finally confiscated my Dad's car when he was in the hospital. It wasn't pretty but just maybe I saved someone's life.

My mom was already showing signs of dementia/ALZ when my dad became life-threatening ill suddenly. While he was in ICU the first nite, my mom made a comment that she was going to 'go back to the hospital that nite' to visit....I became quite alarmed and went back to their house and took their car. I felt bad but not that bad when I knew it was for everyone's safety !!! My mom was also on medications that she shouldn't be driving anyway so I felt that I made the right decision. I couldn't let more tragedy happen; it was difficult enough hoping my dad would survive and that my mom wouldn't harm herself or anyone else. Now I'm glad I did it... I figured I saved someone's life.

To answer your question, you can't force someone to go to the Dr. You can't hog-tie your FIL and put him in the car and carry him into the office. Unfortunately, your MIL had a prime opportunity to have your FIL evaluated before she spilled the beans about the real reason for the appointment.

Check with DMV. You may be able to report him as an unsafe driver.

So, these are your inlaws? Where is your spouse this discussion ?

Be careful when they lose their license by no means will it stop their driving. Take their license cancel their insurance and see what happened when they wreck . Think before you leap.

You fill out a DDS-270 "request for driver evaluation" Down load the form from the Georgia website at dds.ga.gov Very simple

yes-take their keys away also so they don't drive till evaluated

Contact your local MVD and report what you told us. They can make him take a driver's test, take away his license, but it is up to his wife to take away the keys. Danger situation. Get it resolved fast before he kills himself or others.

can you get him to do an downloaded test from the internet like a SAGE test and then take the test to the dr's office. definitely get him turned in to DMV-you do not need to submit your name.