Driving decision-making in older adults with dementia

Abstract

Drivers with dementia, like most other drivers, are reluctant to relinquish their driving privileges, making discussions about driving cessation difficult and of great concern to family. To better understand how driving decisions are made 13 focus groups were held with 65 participants including current drivers with dementia, their spouses, and spouses of former drivers with dementia. Results documented the use of compensation strategies by drivers with dementia and their families to maintain safe driving behaviors given declining skills, identified a lack of planning for driving cessation even in light of expectations of cessation, confirmed a desire that driving decisions be a responsibility shared between families and professionals, and showed that diagnostic delays hamper families in making long-term plans. Given the desires and needs of drivers and their spouses, a shared, consistent, and unified approach to driving decisions between professionals and families is needed.