Caregiving 4 Alz - What you need to know

People seem to think that if someone is sitting next to an Alzheimer's driver he won't get lost so it's OK, he can still drive, or he only drives around the neighborhood where he's familiar with everything. But someone in the passenger seat won't keep him from driving into a store front, off a parking structure, into people at a bus stop, or into a swimming pool...you frequently see such 'accidents' by elderly drivers on the news. Getting lost is not the problem. People without Alzheimer's get lost every day. Being able to operate the car is not a problem. The very real danger is the inability to react quickly, to assess a pending emergency without getting flustered, misreading the scene or being unable to read or see a traffic sign; it's going the wrong way on a one-way street, misjudging distance and speed. What will you do, sitting next to him, when he gets confused and turns in front of a truck? It's dangerous for him to even back out of his own driveway. And it isn't only confusion; Alzheimer's patients develop visual problems that have nothing to do with eyeglasses.

Few things will be more difficult than taking away your loved one's car, but it is imperative. If he gets into an accident, even if it's not his fault, the assets of the whole family can be wiped out, even if he has insurance. Someone can be killed or seriously injured.

You can disable his car, but in a lucid moment, he will call the garage or auto club, so you will have to tell the garage to say it can't be fixed if he calls, and 'lose' his club card. The car can also be 'stolen'. Tell him you reported it to the police but it's never been recovered. If you have only one car and you need to drive it, let him keep his key but file down one point enough so that the car won't start. Or get a remote starter installed where they sell auto alarms. You keep the remote starter control on your key ring--your loved one need never know. Or trade the car in for another make. This will confuse him and he'll likely let you drive. Keep putting everything off until 'tomorrow'. Eventually, with the car disabled or out of sight, most patients forget about driving. If it doesn't cause too many problems, keep the patient's car around if it makes him happy. Learn more about driving problems and solutions at: