Elderly Drivers - when to call it quits?

[mt terry d]

I made it home safely. What's the problem?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1997044556777320892

 

[LostArra]

To those that have elderly parents, when have you decided to ‘take the keys away’?

I realize that those parents ‘think’ they can drive, but you know know better.

What do or what did you do?

Golden rule.
How do you want to be treated when the time comes?

 

[BadDogPSD]

My dad's driving started getting bad in his late 70's. He agreed to stop driving in his early 80's without much of a fight.

 

[LostArra]

My granddad was perfect. He backed out of his garage, clipped the mailbox, pulled back in the garage.
He called my mom and told her to sell his car. "It could have been a neighbor kid" and he told her she's going to have to get his groceries."

 

[Johnson27]

I had to be the bad guy that took the keys away from our dad.
He had been battling parkinson for several years and it was getting worse. We had a small snow storm and he tried to get to the store. He buried his mini-van just trying to get out of the driveway. Instead of calling for help, he burned up the transmission and busted a half shaft trying to get it unstuck.
After I got it towed to the repair shop and finding out how much damage he'd done, I called a family meeting and informed mom and my sisters that he was done driving. Dad was not happy to say the least, but everyone else thanked me for having the courage to say enough.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

All I know is that when I'm old I want to die peacefully in my sleep, just like grandma. Not awake and screaming like everyone else that was in her car.

 

[7mm-08]

This is one tough subject. After my Mom passed away in her mid-70's, my Dad was still sharp as a tack and capable of driving into his late 80's, more than a dozen years later. The kids knew that pulling his keys would have isolated him socially and killed him. Fortunately (if you can even use that word in this situation), his ignoring the triple digit PSA numbers and refusing to further define his situation led to his worsening health and eventual instability a month before he died. He had no desire to drive the last few months before his death, which made it easy for us, the kids. Lots of factors influence this decision for sure.

 

[sambo3006]

Thankfully, both of my parents voluntarily quit driving. I would not have hesitated to lovingly but firmly if necessary tell them that it was time to quit. The ONLY consideration is safety. Not just for your loved one, but for the mother and her young children who is also on the road, or anyone else for that matter. I think too many people get caught up in worrying about offending their elderly loved one. We have a great responsibility to ensure the safety of all.

 

[87TT]

When my Dad was 85 or 86 he started having memory issues and my Mom took over most of the driving and he pretty much quit. He still insisted that he could and the state sent him a new license. We finally moved my parents up to my sister's and he wasn't happy. I remembered when I was a kid and he had to take my grandmothers car from her. So, I reminded him. Even though he was diminished, I think he kind of remembered that and it was done. I already told my kids that it would be their call for me. My Mom is 91 and still drives.