Disclaimer: The articles below are not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Faith in Action or its staff.
Warning Signs of an Unsafe Driver
*This article was written by Agingcare.com and posted on this website Feb. 10, 2016
When is it time for an elderly person to give up driving? Driving ability is not determined by age. However, there are changes that may affect driving skills over time and contribute to unsafe driving in elderly people. If you are concerned about your loved one’s (or your own) ability to drive safely, here are some warning signs to look for that might indicate it is time to talk about giving up driving.
Health Conditions
Certain health problems that are more common in seniors can make driving difficult. For example, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and arthritis can interfere with driving abilities. People with illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease or dementia may forget how to drive safely, become easily disoriented, or get lost trying to find a familiar place.
Medications
Medications can have side effects and cause negative reactions including:
Some examples of prescription medications that might cause side effects that make driving unsafe include: antihistamines, pain relievers, anxiety medications, products containing codeine, allergy medicine and tranquilizers. If the label advises against “operating heavy machinery” consider it a warning not to get behind the wheel. If in doubt, consult a doctor.
Reaction Time
In order to drive safely, seniors must be able to react quickly to other cars and people on the road. Being able to make quick decisions while driving is important, to avoid accidents and stay safe. Changes over time might slow how fast a senior reacts. Reflexes may be getting slower; stiff joints or weak muscles make it harder to move quickly; attention span may be shorter; or it might be harder to do two things at the same time. This affects the ability to turn their head to look back, turn the steering wheel quickly or brake safely.
Vision
Our eyesight changes as we age. At night, seniors have trouble seeing things clearly. Glare can also be a problem—from oncoming headlights, street lights or the sun. It might be harder to see people, things, and movements outside the direct line of sight. It may take longer to read street or traffic signs or even recognize familiar places. Eye diseases, such as glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration may also change a person’s vision.
Hearing
Hearing may also change, making it harder to notice horns, sirens, or noises from a senior’s own car. That can be a problem because these sounds warn seniors when they may need to pull over or get out of the way.
Here are some questions to ask yourself that can help determine if a person is an unsafe driver:
If you are concerned about a person’s ability to drive, it is time to have an open, honest conversation about giving up the keys. If you live in Georgetown are are 65 years or older, please contact Faith in Actin Georgetown to see if you qualify for our free services.
When is it time for an elderly person to give up driving? Driving ability is not determined by age. However, there are changes that may affect driving skills over time and contribute to unsafe driving in elderly people. If you are concerned about your loved one’s (or your own) ability to drive safely, here are some warning signs to look for that might indicate it is time to talk about giving up driving.
Health Conditions
Certain health problems that are more common in seniors can make driving difficult. For example, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and arthritis can interfere with driving abilities. People with illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease or dementia may forget how to drive safely, become easily disoriented, or get lost trying to find a familiar place.
Medications
Medications can have side effects and cause negative reactions including:
- Sleepiness/drowsiness
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Slowed movement
- Fainting
- Inability to focus or pay attention
- Nausea
- Excitability
Some examples of prescription medications that might cause side effects that make driving unsafe include: antihistamines, pain relievers, anxiety medications, products containing codeine, allergy medicine and tranquilizers. If the label advises against “operating heavy machinery” consider it a warning not to get behind the wheel. If in doubt, consult a doctor.
Reaction Time
In order to drive safely, seniors must be able to react quickly to other cars and people on the road. Being able to make quick decisions while driving is important, to avoid accidents and stay safe. Changes over time might slow how fast a senior reacts. Reflexes may be getting slower; stiff joints or weak muscles make it harder to move quickly; attention span may be shorter; or it might be harder to do two things at the same time. This affects the ability to turn their head to look back, turn the steering wheel quickly or brake safely.
Vision
Our eyesight changes as we age. At night, seniors have trouble seeing things clearly. Glare can also be a problem—from oncoming headlights, street lights or the sun. It might be harder to see people, things, and movements outside the direct line of sight. It may take longer to read street or traffic signs or even recognize familiar places. Eye diseases, such as glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration may also change a person’s vision.
Hearing
Hearing may also change, making it harder to notice horns, sirens, or noises from a senior’s own car. That can be a problem because these sounds warn seniors when they may need to pull over or get out of the way.
Here are some questions to ask yourself that can help determine if a person is an unsafe driver:
- Do other drivers often honk?
- Does the driver have trouble staying in his/her own lane?
- Has the driver had some accidents, even if they are only “fender benders”?
- Does the person have trouble their foot between the gas and the brake pedals, or do they confuse the two?
- Do cars or people walking seem to appear out of nowhere?
- Have family, friends, or my doctor said they are worried about the person’s driving?
- Is the person driving less these days because he/she is frightened when behind the wheel?
- Does the driver get lost, even on roads he/she knows?
If you are concerned about a person’s ability to drive, it is time to have an open, honest conversation about giving up the keys. If you live in Georgetown are are 65 years or older, please contact Faith in Actin Georgetown to see if you qualify for our free services.
Reading, Writing, and Playing Games May Help Aging Brains Stay Healthy!
Nov. 25, 2012 — Mental activities like reading and writing can preserve structural integrity in the brains of older people, according to a new study presented November 25 at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
While previous research has shown an association between late-life cognitive activity and better mental acuity, the new study from Konstantinos Arfanakis, Ph.D., and colleagues from Rush University Medical Center and Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago studied what effect late-life cognitive activity might have on the brain's white matter, which is composed of nerve fibers, or axons, that transmit information throughout the brain.
"Reading the newspaper, writing letters, visiting a library, attending a play or playing games, such as chess or checkers, are all simple activities that can contribute to a healthier brain," Dr. Arfanakis said. The researchers used a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method known as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to generate data on diffusion anisotropy, a measure of how water molecules move through the brain. In white matter, diffusion anisotropy exploits the fact that water moves more easily in a direction parallel to the brain's axons, and less easily perpendicular to the axons, because it is impeded by structures such as axonal membranes and myelin.
"This difference in the diffusion rates along different directions increases diffusion anisotropy values," Dr. Arfanakis said. "Diffusion anisotropy is higher when more diffusion is happening in one direction compared to others."
" The anisotropy values in white matter drop, however, with aging, injury and disease. "In healthy white matter tissue, water can't move as much in directions perpendicular to the nerve fibers," Dr. Arfanakis said. "But if, for example, you have lower neuronal density or less myelin, then the water has more freedom to move perpendicular to the fibers, so you would have reduced diffusion anisotropy. Lower diffusion anisotropy values are consistent with aging.
" The study included 152 elderly participants, mean age 81 years, from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a large-scale study looking at risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. Participants were without dementia or mild cognitive impairment, based on a detailed clinical evaluation. Researchers asked the participants to rate on a scale of 1 to 5 the frequency with which they participated in a list of mentally engaging activities during the last year. Among the activities were reading newspapers and magazines, writing letters and playing cards and board games. Participants underwent brain MRI using a 1.5-T scanner within one year of clinical evaluation.
"The researchers collected anatomical and DTI data and used it to generate diffusion anisotropy maps. Data analysis revealed significant associations between the frequency of cognitive activity in later life and higher diffusion anisotropy values in the brain. "Several areas throughout the brain, including regions quite important to cognition, showed higher microstructural integrity with more frequent cognitive activity in late life," said Dr. Arfanakis. "Keeping the brain occupied late in life has positive outcomes."
According to Dr. Arfanakis, diffusion anisotropy drops gradually beginning at around age 30.
"Higher diffusion anisotropy in elderly patients who engage in frequent cognitive activity suggests that these people have brain properties similar to those of younger individuals," he said.
The researchers will continue to follow the study participants with an eye toward comparing the diffusion anisotropy results over time.
"In these participants, we've shown an association between late-life cognitive activity and structural integrity, but we haven't shown that one causes the other," Dr. Arfanakis said. "We want to follow the same patients over time to demonstrate a causal link.
" Coauthors are Anil K. Vasireddi, B.S., Shengwei Zhang, B.Eng., David A. Bennett, M.D., and Debra A. Fleischman, Ph.D.
While previous research has shown an association between late-life cognitive activity and better mental acuity, the new study from Konstantinos Arfanakis, Ph.D., and colleagues from Rush University Medical Center and Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago studied what effect late-life cognitive activity might have on the brain's white matter, which is composed of nerve fibers, or axons, that transmit information throughout the brain.
"Reading the newspaper, writing letters, visiting a library, attending a play or playing games, such as chess or checkers, are all simple activities that can contribute to a healthier brain," Dr. Arfanakis said. The researchers used a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method known as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to generate data on diffusion anisotropy, a measure of how water molecules move through the brain. In white matter, diffusion anisotropy exploits the fact that water moves more easily in a direction parallel to the brain's axons, and less easily perpendicular to the axons, because it is impeded by structures such as axonal membranes and myelin.
"This difference in the diffusion rates along different directions increases diffusion anisotropy values," Dr. Arfanakis said. "Diffusion anisotropy is higher when more diffusion is happening in one direction compared to others."
" The anisotropy values in white matter drop, however, with aging, injury and disease. "In healthy white matter tissue, water can't move as much in directions perpendicular to the nerve fibers," Dr. Arfanakis said. "But if, for example, you have lower neuronal density or less myelin, then the water has more freedom to move perpendicular to the fibers, so you would have reduced diffusion anisotropy. Lower diffusion anisotropy values are consistent with aging.
" The study included 152 elderly participants, mean age 81 years, from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a large-scale study looking at risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. Participants were without dementia or mild cognitive impairment, based on a detailed clinical evaluation. Researchers asked the participants to rate on a scale of 1 to 5 the frequency with which they participated in a list of mentally engaging activities during the last year. Among the activities were reading newspapers and magazines, writing letters and playing cards and board games. Participants underwent brain MRI using a 1.5-T scanner within one year of clinical evaluation.
"The researchers collected anatomical and DTI data and used it to generate diffusion anisotropy maps. Data analysis revealed significant associations between the frequency of cognitive activity in later life and higher diffusion anisotropy values in the brain. "Several areas throughout the brain, including regions quite important to cognition, showed higher microstructural integrity with more frequent cognitive activity in late life," said Dr. Arfanakis. "Keeping the brain occupied late in life has positive outcomes."
According to Dr. Arfanakis, diffusion anisotropy drops gradually beginning at around age 30.
"Higher diffusion anisotropy in elderly patients who engage in frequent cognitive activity suggests that these people have brain properties similar to those of younger individuals," he said.
The researchers will continue to follow the study participants with an eye toward comparing the diffusion anisotropy results over time.
"In these participants, we've shown an association between late-life cognitive activity and structural integrity, but we haven't shown that one causes the other," Dr. Arfanakis said. "We want to follow the same patients over time to demonstrate a causal link.
" Coauthors are Anil K. Vasireddi, B.S., Shengwei Zhang, B.Eng., David A. Bennett, M.D., and Debra A. Fleischman, Ph.D.