MY mother was diagnosed with the beginning stages of dementia about 4 months ago she has gotten progressively worse especially with short term memory loss..Her Doctor is refusing to send in the paperwork to have her take a road test again with the registry of motor vehicles and states she is fine to drive he short distances to walmart and grocery store. But she really is not okay to do this...she drives 5 miles an hour on every road whether speed limit is 50 or or 20 and she also stops at green lights anyone have any advice
A statement from a professional stating she could not drive or live alone, with objections, she would accept. Had we moved her to an assisted living facility, I know she would have continued to drive, so we moved her in with us, 6 years ago. Best decision we ever made. It was not easy for her to have her home sold and most of her belongings, but necessary. She is with family, is happy, but deteriorating, mentally, rapidly. When her license expired, we got her a state id. She did not know the difference, but she had a legal picture id that looked like a drivers license. This was not simple, but sometimes you just have to take charge for their own well being. Thankfully we dealt with co-operating professionals that understood the situation, knew she was going to live with family, and made the right decisions for their patient.
What if you put in writing to the doctor all the concerns you have about your mother driving and what you have witnessed. Does your mother have an attorney? On the bottom of the letter to the doctor, put cc: lawyer's name. and send him or her a copy of the letter describing why she should not drive.
This should make the doctor take notice. My MIL seemed fine many times when she went to the doctor; but I had to pull him aside and inform him of what was going on. Take care.
Can you not notify the department of motor vehicles of the diagnosis and request a test? When my husband was diagnosed, the doctor informed the DMV and his license was revoked by mail -- no test involved. With dementia, it is not about vision or knowing the rules and the mechanics of driving. It is about ATTENTION SPAN and JUDGMENT.
What on earth are these doctors thinking???
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Drivers are expected to notify the Secretary of State of any medical condition that may interfere with driving within 10 days of being diagnosed. If deemed necessary, drivers will be required to submit a medical form, indicating their ability to drive safely. The license can have a sticker which states that you have an Emergency Medical Information Card with you.
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Older drivers may have a restriction placed on their driver license. The types of restrictions vary, and are based on the results of your vision test, driving test, and the driving examiner's assessment. A restricted driver license is intended to ensure that you are driving within your abilities. Some of the most common license restrictions are those that:
Require eyeglasses, corrective contact lenses, or bioptic telescopic lens to be worn at certain times.
Permit driving from sunrise to sunset only, or prohibit driving during rush hour.
Restrict the geographical area in which a person is permitted to drive, or prohibit freeway driving.
Require special mechanical devices, or an additional side mirror on the vehicle.
Require extra support in order to ensure a safe and correct driving position.
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vision standard is 20/40 with or without correction. Drivers with vision ranging from 20/40 to 20/70 will only be permitted to drive during the day. If you do not meet the standard you may be referred to a licensed vision specialist.
When you return to the VSD for another vision test, your specialist report will be reviewed. If you pass the subsequent VSD vision test, your driver license renewal will be granted (with a corrective lens restriction, if neccesary).