December 9, 2010

Is it time for your loved one to hang up the car keys?

 "Do you think your older loved-one may be experiencing diminishing driving skills due to the aging process? Are they becoming lost in familiar places, bumping into curbs, mailboxes, or scraping the sides of the garage when they back out? Have they been involved in a minor parking lot fender-bender or do they complain about being honked at? Do they seem easily confused or more forgetful when you talk with them on the phone?

Beyond the emotional challenges, are you concerned about financial and liability issues that could arise from an incident involving the older driver in your family? Have you reviewed your insurance coverage for gaps and premium issues? Is it possible that the older driver in your family could jeopardize not only his or her own financial well-being but also your own?

If so, don't panic; you're certainly not alone. The most important thing to remember is that the time to start addressing your concerns is now, before "concerns" turn into "tragedies".

To help you do that, Keeping Us Safe has released its long awaited workbook titled:
"Beyond Driving with Dignity; The workbook for the families of older drivers".

The workbook employs a very user-friendly, uncomplicated method and is designed to be used in the comfort and confidence of the family's home.

"Beyond Driving with Dignity" was written to help families (or professionals working with families) by providing them with a "roadmap to success" in their quest to overcome the challenges of an older driver's safety.

If driving restrictions or even a complete retirement from driving are deemed appropriate, the "Limit Driving, Not Living" chapter of the workbook helps the family identify and implement alternative means of transportation for the retiring driver.

Keeping Us Safe is a national organization with a primary mission of helping to keep older drivers, safe drivers. In addition to the Beyond Driving with Dignity program mentioned above, Keeping Us Safe also offers two presentations for your group or organization titled:

- A Safe Drive Through the Aging Process (meant for older drivers)
- Adults with Aging Parent Drivers"

(quoted from Institute for Financial Consumer Education)

The workbook costs $25 + S&H from: http://keepingussafe.org/workbookicfe.htm

But first check the AARP website for their free online resource: Is it time for your loved one to hang up the keys?  AARP’s We Need to Talk online seminar is "Produced by AARP and based on information created jointly by The Hartford and the MIT AgeLab, the seminar provides practical tips and advice on how to recognize when it’s time to limit or stop driving and how to discuss the topic with loved ones. We recommend you complete the three modules in sequence. Each takes approximately 30 minutes to complete." http://www.aarp.org/home-garden/transportation/we_need_to_talk/

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