Are There Benefits to Your Senior Giving up Driving?
December 1, 2017
In an argument with your senior about driving, it’s not always easy to come up with reasons she’ll be better off to quit driving. Determine which of these apply to your aging adult’s situation and try to bring up the topic in a loving manner.
She Doesn’t Have to Drive
There is a lot of stress involved with driving, even if it’s something that your aging adult enjoys doing. When she turns the driving over to someone else, she doesn’t have to deal with that stress at all. When she’s not feeling well or otherwise doesn’t want to pay attention to what is going on around her, she doesn’t have to at all.
She Can Still Socialize and Get Where She Needs to Go
Many aging adults worry that they’ll be pinned to their home if they no longer have the ability to drive. The key to solving this problem for your senior is to make sure that she has transportation available. Elderly care providers are a perfect choice for this situation because they’re able to provide companionship and other types of assistance as well as driving when necessary.
She May Save a Bit of Money
It can be expensive to keep driving. Between the costs of maintaining the vehicle, registering it, and insuring it, your senior may see quite a healthy boost to her budget by getting rid of her car. This can especially be true if her driving has been bad enough to warrant tickets recently.
She Won’t Have Legal Troubles
If your senior has had tickets, they may have caused her to attend traffic court or even some sort of court-mandated driving course. In a worst-case scenario, accidents can cause lawsuits that quickly race out of control. Not driving herself is a solid way to avoid these possible problems.
You’ll Have Peace of Mind
One of the best benefits may be for you. As your senior’s caregiver, you likely worry every single time she’s behind the wheel. Once she gives up driving, you know that she’s in a much safer situation as a passenger than she was as a driver.
Even if your aging adult doesn’t see the good points to not driving now, she may soon realize how it benefits her greatly.