Aug. 13, 2009
By Abraham Aboraya
Guest Reporter
On May 29, a 78-year-old man hit and killed a woman crossing Howell Branch Road at State Road 436.
According to witnesses, the driver stopped, walked back to the scene, and then a few minutes later, drove off, before witnesses tracked him down.
Some groups in Central Florida are pointing to similar accidents and asking the question: When is it appropriate for seniors to stop driving?
While the 78-year-old man wasn't at fault for hitting the woman who fell into the road, police said that he will face criminal charges for leaving the scene.
Sgt. Kim Montes, spokeswoman for the Florida Highway Patrol, said he may have been scared or he may have gotten confused at the situation.
"There comes a time when senior drivers need to find alternative methods of travel," Montes said. "We run into this situation sometimes. We take for granted that you can just jump into the car and go. They value their independence."
In 2007, the National Highway Traffic Safety Institute reported that drivers 65 years old and older make up 14 percent of all traffic fatalities, 14 percent of all vehicle occupant fatalities and 19 percent of all pedestrian fatalities. In Florida, 11 percent of all fatal traffic crashes involved a driver older than 65.
The hit-and-run story is not an isolated incident. Recently, an 84-year-old in Melbourne told police she was confused by construction and went the wrong way on Interstate 95 in Palm Bay — a road with a 70 mph speed limit.
The event caused a three-car accident and sent three people to the hospital with minor injuries, but no fatalities.
So what do you do if you think a loved one may be an unsafe driver? The National Safety Commission recommends a number of steps, starting with talking about it and suggesting limits on night driving and long trips.
They also recommend driving with the person you are concerned about and making notes, and even go as far as to suggest an intervention or simply taking the keys if things get too dangerous.
But Dale Gardner, a Winter Park business man, has a different idea: Hire a companion.
"Most (seniors) are not ready to put down the keys and stop driving," Gardner said. "It seems to be, usually, the adult children who are saying to the parent, 'Let's find some alternatives for you.'"
Gardner opened Senior Helpers in May of last year, and, while he didn't want to disclose how many clients he had, said he keeps about 150 companions in his pool. The cost for the service averages about $16 an hour, he said, although the cost can vary.
Gardner got into the business because his mother-in-law, who lived with him and his wife, was sick for a long time with emphysema. When things started getting bad, they hired a companion to help out.
Companions don't just drive the elderly around. They can plan meals, do light house work, make sure the client is taking their medicine, and give family members who may live out of state peace of mind.
While driving isn't always the No. 1 reason families come to Gardner, he said it's usually near the top of the list.
"Most of our clients have broader needs than that, but that's one of the main ones," he said.
As the baby boomer population continues to age, the demand for home health care options will continue to rise, Gardner said. He said companions are matched with clients, and that they try to keep that relationship intact for a long time.
Joyce Heinemann, who's been a companion for about a month now, said she finds it to be very satisfying work. She works for about six hours a day taking care of two elderly sisters, driving them to and from the bank, grocery store, or doctor's office.
Before this, she took care of her mother for a number of years.
"She was in a nursing home and she was abused," Heinemann said. "There was nobody there for her, so I find it very rewarding to be able to come here and help."
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How do you know?
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) provides the following warning signs:
— Feeling uncomfortable and nervous or fearful while driving
— Dents and scrapes on the car or on fences, mailboxes, garage doors, curbs etc.
— Difficulty staying in the lane of travel
— Getting lost
— Trouble paying attention to signals, road signs and pavement markings
— Slower response to unexpected situations
— Medical conditions or medications that may be affecting the ability to handle the car safely
— Frequent "close calls" (i.e. almost crashing)
— Trouble judging gaps in traffics at intersections and on highway entrance/exit ramps
— Other drivers honking at you and instances when you are angry at other drivers
— Friends or relatives not wanting to drive with you
— Difficulty seeing the sides of the road when looking straight ahead
— Easily distracted or having a hard time concentrating while driving
— Having a hard time turning around to check over your shoulder while backing up or changing lanes
— Frequent traffic tickets or "warnings" by traffic or law enforcement officers in the last year or two
The child, relative or caregiver concerned about the safety of an older driver should follow these steps:
— Start a dialogue with the older driver expressing your concerns
— Suggest that the driver limit their driving to avoid night driving or long trips.
— Review any medications or medical issues that could diminish the driver's reflexes and vision or stress causing issues that could affect their driving behavior.
— Travel along with the older driver and either videotape or keep notes of missed signs, near misses, confusion etc. Unless you need to intervene to prevent a collision, don't comment during the drive; it will only make the driver more nervous. Review your findings after the trip.
— Consult with the driver's doctors to see if any medical issues may limit the driver's abilities to drive safely.
— Hold an intervention with family members and concerned friends to try to convince the driver to voluntarily stop driving.
— If all else fails and you feel the situation is too dangerous, take the keys and remove the car.
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