Driving With Early Alzheimer's May Be Ill-Advised

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This study has an obvious bias in the selection of the study group!! The author ONLY looked at stories of lost people that made it into the media. There are thousands of people (all ages and all medical conditions) that get 'lost' daily.
Consider a similar study of all lost CHILDREN who's stories made it into a media report. How many of those children are later found dead or harmed? I suspect that the number of dead or harmed children (who's stories make it into the media) is significantly higher that the number of lost AD people who end up harmed. Would the author suggest mandatory physical attachment of children to parents to prevent becoming lost? (hand cuffs or leash?)
Compare that to what we all know are the number of children who "get lost" daily. (thousands? millions?) who suffer NO HARM.
The author has bought into the stereotype of Dementia. That all dementia sufferers are incapable of performing any of life's tasks. In reality there are thousands of people with dementia who manage to cope daily and carve out an independent life where THEY are in control!
The author has also conveniently forgotten that AD cannot be accurately diagnosed until autopsy! ALL AD diagnosis’s are PRESUMED until brain autopsy. So her proposal that driving be stopped at full Dx (after death) might be accurate, but until then we should PRESUME that a dementia person IS CAPABLE.
Let the patient and the family continue to evaluate the AD person and decide when the time is right to give up anything.
In the meantime get the DRUNK DRIVERS off the road! Repeat offenders of DRUNK DRIVING are bigger dangers to the public than all the AD people in the USA combined.

Alzheimer's Spouse of CA 9:29PM March 19, 2010

about just taking the driving away for someone because they have been diagnosed with dementia/Alzheimer's. It is a disease that is very slow that takes a very long time to even have a person even know something is not right. Anyone that is diagnosed with this disease can be anywhere along this very slow journey of living with this disease. Where along this time path does any person not be able to do anything. We all know if a person with this disease lives long enough all kind of things will happen to them to lose more and more of an ability to do the simplest things. So where does the ability for a person to continue to drive fall along this time line???? Does anyone really know. I have been had an assessment of my driving skills something like Matt Gurtwell wrote about. Yes I know I will need to stop driving to some point in time. As I drive around today, taking my time and being very aware of what is going on around me, I watch other drivers that have no reason to drive the way the do except they just do not pay attention for one reason or another and they have accidents all the time. I will continue to be assessed by professional people that have the ability to determine if I am a safe driver or not. It is such a nasty disease to live with one day at a time, without taking more away from me that I still can do safely and without danger. I know a lot of people will gasp if they read this and God Bless you but you have no idea who I am and how I drive and where I am at along this path called living with Alzheimer's and not against it. God Bless Phil & Flops

Phil Reinoehl of IN 7:26PM March 18, 2010

Keeping Us Safe has developed the "Enhanced Self-Assessment Program" for senior drivers. This individualized program has been designed to serve as a valuable tool in helping older drivers (and their families) make appropriate decisions regarding the future of ones safe driving career.
If the individual is a safe driver, we provide him or her with strategies on how to remain a safe driver as they progress through the aging process. If driving retirement is the appropriate decision, then we provide the individual (and their family) with acceptable alternatives, resources and a very specific plan to ensure a smooth and successful transition from the drivers seat to the passenger seat.
Please visit our website www.keepingussafe.org or call us toll-free to learn how we can help!

Matt Gurtwell of OH 7:37AM March 17, 2010

This is a tough thing for families, it is hard to get a love one to stop driving, states need a mandatory reporting system for doctors and eye care professionals. And something in place to follow though to make sure the individual is not driving.
The GPS devices are an option but they are cost prohibitive for most families.
This is an area that needs to be addressed and a team effort on the part of families, doctors and the government. Sometimes the individual that should not be driving does not have the incite or ability to actively participate in the discussion but should be included in the discussion.

Just Me of FL 10:56AM March 15, 2010