Losing the car is viewed as  the final end of independence to an aging senior.

It is the end of being able to get out and interact socially as well as being able to take care of one's own needs.

Taking your parent's car keys away is listed as one of the most traumatic experiences adult children can have as a  caregiver.

What are the warning signs that it's time?

1.Hearing Loss

Can your parent hear sirens, care horns?  Is your parent slow to respond to these driving warnings?

2. Vision Problems

If your aging parent can't see, he will have too many near misses on the road.   This is probably the most dangerous condition.

3. Drinking Problems

Alcohol can be abused at any age, but older drinkers can exceed safe limits very quickly and not realize it. In such situations  you must take the keys immediately.

Facing the decision to take your parents' car is painful for everyone involved.  If there are too many dents in the car that is a clear sign that your parent is driving badly.  It is also a clear warning that it's an issue which will only grow worse if neglected.

Popularity: 6% [?]

• Janis Abrahms Spring: Caring for Your Aging Parents Janis Abrahms Spring, a clinical psychologist, has written extensively on aging parents issues. Her FAQ's are eye opening as she give freely of her knowledge and experience. In other words, she knows firsthand what many of us are going through. For example, the question 'How do you take care......
• 3 Reasons Why Adult Day Care is Gaining Popularity  Yesterday we talked about some of the  most serious problems with nursing homes.  Since the government is cracking down on elder abuse in nursing homes are there other alternatives for your aging parents?Adult day care may be a good option if you want more supervision over your aging parents' care, but......
• Good Checklist for Discovering Needs of Your Aging Parents Financial Planner Joel Attis has a concise checklist for assessing your aging parents and their financial, emotional, physical and social conditions. Here are some of the questions he believes we all need to ask ahead of time, before it  is too late."1. Can you provide a list of doctors and......
• Ca" title="dogblueyes src="http://agingparentsauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/dogblueyes.jpg" width=300/>Ca" border=0>Caregiving Children Paying Parents' Bills Caregivers paying the bills is a hard subject for children of aging parents to realize. Many children who find themselves in care giving roles do not really know how they will be paying for their parents' care over the next five years. That's from a report by aging expert David......
• More Care Giver Problems You are experiencing more care giver problems. Each day and night bring new challenges. You can't rest. You can't relax. Your aging parents go to bed and you think you've got a few hours to yourself. Wrong. Your father falls out of bed at 1:30 AM and cuts his head.......

• What if I didn't drive my car everyday? A question struck me recently: what would things be like if I didn't drive my car everyday? There are very few places that I really have to drive to in a car. I have to drive my son to his dad's house once or sometimes twice a week. I have......
• Text of President Obama's State of the Union Address [/caption] Remarks of President Barack Obama The State of the Union Wednesday, January 27, 2009 Washington, DC Madame Speaker, Vice President Biden, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans: Our Constitution declares that from time to time, the President shall give to Congress information about the state of our......
• linklings, sneezing leads to a CAT scan edition I'm a bit late with this week's link roundup (surprise) but I have an excuse. As I was driving to work for an early morning meeting on Tuesday, a heavy, driving rain broke out.  The pitch black, heavy rain and early hour (about 6:30) would have been bad enough but......
• We Bought A New Car To Prepare For Our Move. In preparation of our move to the mountains, we went ahead and bought a brand new car last night - a Subaru Forester. We wanted something that gets decent gas mileage, has AWD, and scored incredibly well in safety tests and this car matched all three requirements. Add to that......
• Irish Car Dealership Off to a Driving Start: New Platform Lifts Solve Access Needs T.P. Waters, the leading new and used car dealer, can now accommodate less able customers thanks to a Prestige platform lift from movemanSKG. Built into the company’s plush new showrooms near Kildare in Ireland, the lift looks superb and makes the premises’ first floor accessible to wheelchair users. Tom......