Too many times on the news there are reports of elderly people (or people with dementia) crashing their cars into shop windows after ‘putting their foot on the wrong pedal’.
In my opinion I believe that once a formal diagnosis of dementia has been given, the car keys should automatically be required to be taken away.
Whilst there is an argument that the dementia may only be mild or in early stages, it still brings an unacceptable level of risk to the person with dementia and also the community.
In hindsight when Bob was driving, we were probably not quick enough to remove the keys and he drove through two red lights. Imagine if he had crashed and been badly injured , or worse hurt or killed someone else?
If their is cognitive decline or memory issues with a person – being behind the wheel of a car is not the place for them to be. It may be hard to approach the subject at the time, but it is a conversation that needs to be had.
For some tips on how to remove the keys – Click the following link:
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