Workshop Helps Professionals Decide When Alzheimer's Drivers are Unsafe

The surge of baby boomers now entering their 60s means more drivers on the road who may be impaired by dementia or other cognitive impairments linked to aging. Researchers at the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and elsewhere have developed a three-hour workshop that trains health care providers to identify potentially unsafe drivers with dementia and to encourage appropriate retirement from driving.

Debate is ongoing about when in the progression of dementia a patient becomes ineligible to drive. Most states do not have specific prohibitions in this regard, but all states allow health professionals and others to report persons perceived as medically unfit to drive due to dementia or other conditions. In 2001, the American Academy of Neurology recommended that persons diagnosed with mild dementia stop driving for reasons of personal and public safety.

source: Meuser TM, Carr DB, Berg-Weger M, Niewhoehner P, Morris JC. Driving and dementia in older adults: implementation and evaluation of a continuing education project. Gerontologist 2006 Oct;46(5):680-687.

Related Resources:

Driving with Alzheimer's Disease
Helping Drivers with Alzheimer's Stop.