Why did you give up the keys? People with Alz weigh in
Hello and welcome to the second day of our National Caregivers Month coverage! As you know, this week, we’re focusing on driving. We’ve asked a few members of one of our Early Stage support groups one question: What made you decide to stop driving? Here are their responses – they are as varied as your experiences, I’m sure!
How did you make the decision to stop driving?
“I was okay driving, but one day coming home from a support group, I had an accident, totaled my car and decided that was it. It was a clear indication that I needed to modify my lifestyle. Now I walk, use light rail – it was a way of being proactive.”
“I wasn’t supposed to be driving. I thought I was fine. But I went to pick up my little grandson, and I got lost. It’s easier to let it go – I’m not going to let anything happen to my grandchildren because I was driving.”
“The DMV gave me two tries. I went back to take the test and I started realizing it was difficult to feel safe. That combined with my responsibilities – picking up my granddaughter – that made it easier for me. I wasn’t as stressed out about what “might” happen after I decided to give up my license.”
“We (my wife and I) looked at the liabilities from driving. I talked to my wife about alternative ways to get my needs met (get to the store, out for coffee, etc).”
“Someone told me “˜I think you’d be better off not driving.’ There wasn’t one big thing that happened.”
“In the beginning, I was still driving. I love driving cars, but I just can’t do it anymore, and that’s it.”
“We don’t want to hurt anyone, we want to make sure everyone is safe.”
“It’s hard. You think, I’m just going to the store, the office, no big deal… You tell yourself that.”
“Half of the reason was knowing my wife might kill me if I did something stupid!”
Don’t forget to share your experiences here, on our Facebook page or at www.alz.org/nadam. We want to hear from you!
