Ohio will have more than 4.8 million residents who are 65 or older by 2030 — that’s more than 21 percent of the state’s population, based on U.S. Census data. According to the Department of Transportation, 27 percent of all Ohio drivers in 2030 will be 65 or older.
Driving requires the ability to react quickly to a variety of circumstances. Fast-moving traffic and quickly changing situations can make driving dangerous and challenging. When an individual is living with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia, the risks and challenges are compounded.
As Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease a person living with Alzheimer’s will, at some point, be unable to drive.
“Dementia can impair insight and judgment, making it difficult for people to understand that their driving may no longer be safe,” said Pam Myers, senior director, programs for the Alzheimer’s Association Northwest Ohio and Central Ohio Chapters.
“You may find that giving up the car keys causes a lot of family conflict. If a person is unwilling to give up driving, it might be a good idea to hold a family conference or talk to the person’s health care provider. An objective, outside resource familiar with dementia and driving issues may be more effective than trying to persuade them not to drive.”
A survey by Caring.com and the National Safety Council showed that 40% of adult children say they are not comfortable talking to their parents about driving and would rather discuss funeral arrangements or selling the family home.
Driving is not an easy issue for families and caregivers, and as dementia can cause changes in thinking, behavior and communication, it can be even more difficult to discuss after an individual has been diagnosed with dementia.
There are programs that can help with driving evaluations and training. The University of Toledo Medical Center offers services to assess and train elderly drivers or drivers with disabilities and other impairments. Mercy Health Outpatient Rehabilitation Center at 3851 Navarre Avenue Suite 100 in Oregon also offers a driver evaluation program.
Evaluations may include a comprehensive clinical, simulation, and on-the-road assessment of individuals with physical, cognitive or vision impairments.
Myers said planning ahead can help ease the transition. “Before driving becomes an issue, families and caregivers should have a conversation with their loved ones about driving. Reach out to us for help as we can share tips to help with this tough conversation”.
The Alzheimer’s Association recommends looking for these signs of unsafe driving in loved ones:
- forgetting how to locate familiar places
- failing to observe traffic signs
- making slow or poor decisions in traffic
- driving at an inappropriate speed
- becoming angry or confused while driving
- hitting curbs repeatedly
- using poor lane control
- making errors at intersections
- confusing the brake and gas pedals
- returning from a routine drive later than usual
- forgetting the destination during a trip
Visit www.alz.org/driving for helpful information, tools and resources created by the Alzheimer’s Association with support from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
There are 236,200 Ohioans 65 and older living with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association 2024 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. More than 4,900 Ohioans died from Alzheimer’s in 2021. A total of 414,000 Ohio caregivers provide 624 million hours of unpaid care each year valued at over $11.4 billion.
To learn more about Alzheimer’s or other dementia and to access free local support and resources, visit alz.org/nwohio or call the Northwest Ohio Chapter at 419.537.1999 or the 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.
