Sa nior Sa a y Senior Seni by Jim Miller Driving with Dementia and Knowing When to Stop Dear Savvy Senior, When should someone with dementia stop driving? My 83-yearold father has some dementia issues but still drives himself around town pretty well. Concerned Daughter Dear Concerned, Most doctors agree that people with moderate to severe dementia should never get behind the wheel, but in the early stages of Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia, driving performance should be the determining factor of when to stop driving, not the disease itself. With that said, it’s also important to realize that as your dad’s driving skills deteriorate over time from the disease, he might not recognize he has a problem. So, it’s very important that you work closely with his doctor to monitor his driving and help him stop when it is no longer safe for him to drive. Here are some additional tips that can help you. Watch for Warning Signs The best way to keep tabs on your dad’s driving abilities is to take frequent rides with him and watch out for warning signs. For example: Does he have trouble remembering routes to familiar places? Does he drive at inappropriate speeds, tailgate, drift between lanes or fail to observe traffi c signs? Does he react slowly or make poor driving decisions? Also, has your dad had any fender benders or tickets lately, or have you noticed any dents or scrapes on his vehicle? All of these are red fl ags. If you need some assessment help, hire a driver rehabilitation specialist who’s trained to evaluate older drivers. See Myaota.aota.org/ driver_search or Aded.net to locate one in your area. Transition Tips Through your assessments, if you believe it’s still safe for your dad to drive, you should start recommending some simple adjustments to ensure his safety, like driving only in daylight and on familiar routes, and avoiding busy roads and bad weather. Also, get him to sign a dementia “driving contract” that designates someone to tell him when it’s no longer safe to drive. Go to Alz. org/driving and click on the “Download” button to print one. You may also want to consider getting a GPS car tracking device (like Bouncie.com or MotoSafety.com) to help you monitor him. These devices will let you track where he’s driving and allow you to set up zones and speed limits that will send you alerts to your smartphone when he exits an area, or if he’s driving too fast or braking harshly. Time to Quit When your dad’s driving gets to the point that he can no longer drive safely, you’ll need to talk to him. It’s best to start having these conversations in the early stages of the disease, before he needs to quit driving so he can prepare himself. You also need to have a plan for alternative transportation (including a list of family, friends and local transportation options) that will help him get around after he stops driving. For tips on how to talk to your dad, the Hartford Center for Mature Market Excellence offers a helpful guide called “At the Crossroads: Family Conversations About Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia and Driving” that you can download at TheHartford.com/Publications-on-Aging. Refuses to Quit If your dad refuses to quit, you have several options. First, suggest a visit to his doctor who can give him a medical evaluation, and prescribe that he stops driving. Older people will often listen to their doctor before they will listen to their own family. If he still refuses, contact your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to see if they can help. Some states will automatically revoke a license when a person is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia, while many others require retaking a driving test. If these fail, consider hiding his keys or you may need to take them away. You could also disable his vehicle by disconnecting the battery, park it in another location so he can’t see it or have access to it, or sell it. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. nior ior THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, FEbrUAry 14, 2025 BEACON | FROM PAGE 17 “We appreciate the partnership with awarded organizations as we work together to strengthen employment outcomes, foster inclusivity and advance economic opportunities for individuals with disabilities in Massachusetts’ workforce.” ATTORNEY GENERAL CAMPBELL ON PROTECTING ACCESS TO GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE - Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell and a coalition of twelve other attorneys general issued a statement reaffi rming their commitment to protecting access to gender-affi rming care following a recent executive order by the Trump Administration. “As state attorneys general, we stand fi rmly in support of healthcare policies that respect the dignity and rights of all people,” read the statement. “Health care decisions should be made by patients, families and doctors, not by a politician trying to use his power to restrict your freedoms. Gender-affi rming care is essential, life-saving medical treatment that supports individuals in living as their authentic selves.” The statement continued, “The Trump Administration’s recent executive order is wrong on the science and the law. Despite what the Trump Administration has suggested, there is no connection between “female genital mutilation” and gender-affi rming care, and no federal law makes gender-affi rming care unlawful. President Trump cannot change that by executive order.” r DON’T MISS THIS EVENT - Join Massachusetts energy leaders in government, industry and advocacy at the MCLE in Boston on March 26 for an important discussion about the state’s energy policy and its goals for a net-zero future, hosted by the State House News Service. With the return of a new Trump administration and policies hindering wind power development, the state’s plan to expand its off shore wind portfolio faces uncertainty. While solar power off ers potential, its scalability is limited by grid capacity issues and requires substantial investment. Other promising technologies like fusion and low-carbon hydrogen have yet to be implemented in the commonwealth. Tickets/more info: https:// www.eventbr it e.com/e/ power-interruption-tickPage 19 ets-1219762716119?aff=oddtdtcreator QUOTABLE QUOTES “The loss of these three workers is not just a statistic. It is a devastating reminder of the human cost of inadequate safety practices.” --- Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (COSH) Executive Director Tatiana Sofi a Begault on recent reports that three Massachusetts workers died in less than two weeks. “The history of Black Americans is deeply woven into the patchwork fabric and rich legacy of our country. A people who survived the torment of enslavement and consistently seek to lead this nation forward. A people who are the conscience of America and stand as a beacon of the great possibility of our democracy. To know the history of Black people in America is to understand our history is a testament to the enduring pursuit of America’s ideals.” --- Tanisha Sullivan, Chair of the Governor’s Black Empowerment Advisory Council at a celebration of Black History Month at the Statehouse. “This bill is vital because it addresses the pressing issue of allowing male athletes to compete in girls’ school sports when there is no equivalent boys’ team or when a boy identifi es as a girl. [The bill] would give athletes and coaches the legal right to opt out of competitions against the opposite sex without fear of discipline.” --- Statement by the Massachusetts Family Institute (MFI). “It sickens me to see that any legislator in Massachusetts would partner with this organization to incite fearmongering and disinformation at the expense of children.” --- Tanya Neslusan, Executive Director of Mass Equality on what it calls MFI’s activities to promote discriminatory bills impacting transgender youth and anti-LGBTQ policies at the state and local level by engaging in disinformation campaigns and encouraging hateful propaganda against the LGBTQ communities across the state. “I think after witnessing last year’s coin toss, and to my knowledge -- and please correct me if I’m wrong -- there was no problem with betting integrity that took place. I looked in all the jurisdictions and I Googled as many news articles as I could to see if any betting integrity [issues] took place. There are other prop bets, like the Gatorade color over the coach, the national anthem length, and we, of course, decided we didn’t want to go that far. But I think the coin toss is something we should be revisiting.” --- Massachusetts Gaming Commissioner Brad Hill on the commission’s 3-2 vote to allow sports betting companies in the Bay State to off er wagers on the Super Bowl opening coin toss. HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of Feb. 3-7, the House met for a total of six hours and 13 minutes while the Senate met for a total of 11 minutes. MonFeb. 3House11:02 a.m. to11:10a.m. Senate 11:20 a.m. to11:26a.m. Tues.Feb. 4No House session No Senate session Wed. Feb. 5No House session No Senate session Thurs. Feb. 6House11:01 a.m. to5:06p.m. Senate 11:28 a.m. to 11:33a.m. Fri. Feb. 7No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com Bob founded Beacon Hill Roll Call in 1975 and was inducted into the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) Hall of Fame in 2019.
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