Evaluating senior drivers

Almost anyone can benefit from a comprehensive driving evaluation conducted by a professional, such as an occupational therapist. And it’s the best way to identify any specific changes necessary to improve your driving safety. Many older adults make adjustments to when and how they drive in order to compensate for physical and cognitive changes that they .  · At September’s Senior Network meeting in Fort Collins, Jill Couch with Pro 31 Safe Senior Driver gave an informative presentation on evaluating senior drivers. Her company reaches out to many senior and professional groups on educating the public about safe senior driving and helping or evaluating seniors with their driving abilities. National Highway Traffic .  · A comprehensive driving evaluation by a trained professional is an objective process for determining: Whether you have the skills and abilities to drive safely; What corrections (if any) are needed; What specific steps you can take to become a better, safer driver; What on-the-road training may be necessary to improve your skills.

The number of adult drivers 65 years and older is increasing rapidly. However, older drivers are involved in more fatal car incidents per miles driven than any other age group except teenagers. Driving has become very important for older adults because it is critical to their independence and self-esteem. Therefore, the role of health care providers and the interprofessional team is essential to maximizing the life expectancy of driving to match the life span and activity levels of the older. That means, on average, 16 older adults are killed and people are injured every single day in the U.S. as a result of unfit senior drivers. More than 40 million licensed drivers are age 65 or older in the United States. Many of those millions of elderly drivers are perfectly fit to drive. Source: American Occupational Therapy Association and the Physician’s Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers Driving Skills Evaluations Driving skills evaluators (DSEs) conduct evaluations to help you identify any weaknesses in driving skills and determine if supplemental training can further reduce driving risk.

Doing so, however, can put a senior loved one in danger. In honor of Older Driver Awareness Week, we are sharing tips for assessing a. Assessing Senior Drivers. Medical referral resulting from a driver's licence renewal session ministry, including a Cognitive Assessment form. Senior Driver Warning Signs. There are several warning signs that can indicate that a driver would benefit from a formal driving evaluation. They include.