It's hard to tell someone with dementia that it's time to stop driving, so Illawarra researchers have come up with a tool that will help people make that difficult decision for themselves.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Driving and Dementia Decision Aid, put together by researchers from the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, has been designed to ease conflict.
The aid, which is divided into four stages of decision-making, has been reviewed by international experts and now researchers are looking for participants to take part in a trial.
University of Wollongong dementia researcher Associate Professor Victoria Traynor said the aid was developed because family and friends, and even health professionals, often found it tough to talk to dementia patients about driving until things were at "crisis point".
"People often don't know how to approach that conversation in a sensitive way ... I have heard of families hiding keys and disengaging the engine, which only antagonises the individual," Prof Traynor said.
"So giving up driving usually ends up being a forced event for people with dementia and often happens way beyond the time that they should have considered it - when their driving has become dangerous."
Prof Traynor said the decision aid could be introduced at the earliest stages of dementia, giving the person the opportunity to take control.
"Even when people realise they have no choice but to give up driving, it still comes as a shock to them and can have a big impact on their self-esteem as driving is such an important part of their lives," she said.
"So we wanted to introduce the idea of 'driving retirement' early on so that they can plan for that decision, and can give up driving when they want to.
"This 'person-centred' approach works to a person's strengths and enables them to participate in the decision-making, which allows them to maintain their self-esteem and gives them a sense of control in the face of a disease that's progressive."
The decision aid contains a wealth of information and poses questions around knowledge, value and support.
"It's a guided process that helps people look at their values around driving, asks them who they can talk to about their decision and gives them a range of options to consider," Prof Traynor said.
"For instance it gives them tips on how to be more comfortable with using public transport, or asks them to consider moving so they are in walking distance to the services and facilities they use."
Prof Traynor said the team hoped to get 140 people in the early stages of dementia for a trial of the decision aid. Anyone who would like to take part in the trial should contact her at vtraynor@uow.edu.au.
