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Health & Fitness

Freedom Road

Has the driver in front of you had that right blinker on for the last ten minutes?

On Monday, March 18 we are having a mature driver safety program sponsored by Hartford Hospital at the senior center.  It is a one on one safety screening that tests one's visual acuity, physical dexterity and reaction times among other factors.  This is their third visit to the senior center and each time it has been a hard sell to fill the appointments.  The fear among seniors is palpable.  "What if I don' t do well?"  "They'll report me and I'll lose my license."  I have to reassure them that this is simply a free screening for their own knowledge so they can begin to consider what changes they might make to be sure they're are safe on the road.

Why are they so worried?  In a word, freedom.  Without their cars they lose their freedom to do things on their schedule, they become dependent on others and it is a clear sign that another of the indignities of old age has sneaked up on them. This is completely understandable and one has to feel for them, but the bigger question of public safety looms.

I have two seniors age 96 and 97 who are still driving.  I have seen both of them on the road when they didn't know I was watching and I can honestly say I did not see any behavior that concerned me.  On the other hand I have seen several of my younger seniors who could use a copilot so age is not a clear determining factor.  Many seniors are also self-policing.  They will say, "I don't drive at night anymore" or they won't cross the bridge to Middletown, but they bristle if you suggest maybe they ought to curtail their driving.

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I do not pretend to have the answer to this problem.  The elder lobby rises up as one if mandatory testing of older drivers is suggested, but it seems not a week goes by without an incident of an elderly driver hitting the gas instead of the brake or driving the wrong way on a highway. I would suggest that if you have an elderly friend or relative whose driving skills are declining you have the talk.  Even if you don't see them driving, if you begin to notice new scratches or dents on the car, it's time to sit down.  You need to be sympathetic though because they will see this as an attack on their liberty.

When I found myself in this situation with an elderly relative, I spoke to her doctor.  She had had an injury so I asked him to tell her she needed to be tested before she could drive again.  We went to Easter Seals which does simulation and road testing.  That was one of the hardest afternoons of my llife because I watched a woman who had a college degree and had been an independent person her whole life struggle to complete the tasks they gave her.  It was a stark indication of the toll aging had taken on her in a short time.  They recommended she no longer drive and she accepted that verdict much more gracefully than I expected.  Never mind that from that day on when the subject came up she told people I had taken her car away.  The interesting thing about that is I didn't do anything with her car.  It sat in her garage for about a year until she said maybe we should sell it.  It took her that long to accept that she was not going to drive again.

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I would like to tell you that there are sufficient transportation options for seniors in this area, but I can't.  We provide medical transport and rides for social outings, but we can't transport everyone where they want to go when they want to go.  With more people working in families seniors often cannot count on family members either.

I would suggest the next time you are on the road and an elderly driver is taking that turn a little too slowly for your taste or hugging the yellow line or driving for miles with the blinker on, take a deep breath.  Remind yourself that you too will be older one day and that you are in fact watching is freedom in action.  Oh, and be sure you are buckled in.

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