How to know when it’s the end of the road for Senior Drivers

There’s a raging debate going on in my home country about whether or not the deaf should be allowed to drive. I find the debate fascinating because there is an even bigger danger that no one is talking about – the elderly who drive while hearing impaired. US statistics suggest that one in three people over the age of 65 have hearing loss and this statistic increases to more than 1 in 2 in those over age 80. Many senior drivers may therefore be driving with hearing impairments. People who have lifelong hearing impairments may have developed their other senses to help to compensate, but in seniors these other senses may in fact be declining.

In fact, one in three seniors has some amount of vision impairing eye disease and one study predicts that a large percentage of the elderly will go on to develop cognitive problems of one sort or another. In addition, pain or stiffness in joints may make it harder to make lane changes and even to see other drivers on the road. Leg pain may make it harder to move the pedals and arm pain may make it difficult to turn the steering wheel. Finally, keeping track of the various road signs, signals, other drivers and pedestrians requires significant coordination and this may become more difficult with age.

Seniors who drive may therefore be a danger to themselves and to others on the road, but which ones should stop driving and when? Most countries do not have a definitive cut off age for driving and with good reason – many seniors hear and see quite well, and their driving experience may make them even sharper than younger people. The cut off age is therefore going to differ from senior to senior. While driving allows seniors to remain independent of others, maintain their social contacts and activities, and in some cases, continue working, the perhaps awkward question still needs to be askedin the interest of safety.

Here are some clues to help you to decide when driving should cease/whether it’s time to hang up the car keys.
– Eyesight problems – Difficulty with peripheral vision, extra sensitivity to light, trouble seeing in the dark or blurred vision;
– Hearing problems – Difficulty in hearing sirens or horns;
– Problems with reflexes – Slow responses and confusion;
– Problems with memory – Getting lost on familiar routes or even forgetting the destination;
– A series of accidents, even minor ones or near accidents
– Trouble with the basics of driving – Having difficulty in changing gears, making lane changes, parking and so on.

The driver is the best judge of these signs but it may be necessary for a family member or a friend to intervene if the driver doesn’t voluntarily decide to stop driving. A few days after drafting this blog, I read about an unfortunate incident in Florida where a 100 year old man mowed down 11 pedestrians on a sidewalk. Fortunately no one was killed in this particular incident, but the story does serve to emphasize the urgency of intervening if you suspect this could have been your loved one behind the wheel. In our next blog we’ll look at some key intervention strategies.

Travelling the World after Retirement….Fantastic?….. or NOT!!

Guest Contributor: Karlene Russell

Most persons look forward to that day when they retire from a 9 to 5 job. They imagine themselves just relaxing and indulging in hobbies, charities and grandchildren with the occasional trip or cruise to some exotic place, or visiting family and close friends living overseas.

Travelling the world after one retires sounds like a splendid idea; however, in addition to the obvious financial constraints there are also health considerations that may restrict travelling. Many travellers experience anxiety with flying, which when combined with other factors such as flight delays, baggage handling and long walks to departure gates, all contribute to stressful situations particularly for seniors. Also, the thin air, low cabin pressure, low humidity, cramped seating, and inactivity may pose problems for elderly travelers.

It has been reported that cabin pressure/oxygenation affects blood oxygenation in persons with cardiac problems or vascular conditions. Also, motion sickness from a rough flight, can affect elderly persons who have been exposed to a variety of the above-mentioned environmental changes that occur during flying. Most senior citizens in the Caribbean, with the possible exception of those who have known diseases or illnesses, tend not to think of potential health issues that can arise during travelling.

These realities were brought home to me recently after two incidents – the first involving my 75 yr old mother who was travelling from Jamaica to visit me in Guyana, and the other involving a 76 yr old heart patient whom I met on a flight. These incidents were eye-openers and inspired me to share my experiences and to perhaps highlight some important issues for consideration which can help to better prepare our senior citizens and their families.

In the first incident, my mother experienced a mild heart attack while waiting in a departure lounge in transit to Guyana. At the time, she was not aware that it was a heart attack and it was only the following day that tests confirmed a mild heart attack. Prior to her trip no one was aware that she had a heart condition, so we were very lucky that she survived this incident.

In the second incident, I witnessed the anxiety of a daughter travelling with her elderly mother when the mother became ill mid-flight. Luckily the daughter was a nurse and knew to ask for oxygen, and with the aid of a doctor on board as well as from medical personnel in the airport at the next transit stopover, normalcy in vital statistics was regained, and her mother was cleared for onward travel. The daughter was grateful for small mercies as a stopover for medical treatment would have incurred unexpected medical and hotel costs, flight change fees etc.

Phew!! those were both close calls, but as I reflected on those two incidents I decided to compile of list of pointers you can use to guide the seniors in your life before and during travel.

Before the Flight
1. Encourage your loved ones to have a ‘STAYCATION’, and discourage where possible trips overseas that involve long flight times and multiple transit stops and flight changes. Many of us use online booking but bear in mind that travel agents may be able to find less complicated routes to the destination. Also consider having overseas relatives visiting them instead.
2. Seniors over the age of 65 should avoid travelling alone if they have known illnesses or health challenges. Within the Caribbean context, some seniors over 65 are still gainfully employed, or work as consultants or are involved in private family business that require extensive travelling. These persons should try to travel along with another colleague.
3. Make sure medical check-ups are done before the trip. This is especially important for persons who have coronary heart disease, hypertension or any other chronic condition, or if they have recently undergone surgery or experienced a heart attack. Persons with diabetes will need medical advice on how to safely stagger their medications to adapt to a different time zone.
4. If they intend travelling to areas where infectious diseases are present, make sure that they are fully vaccinated.
5. Make sure that they get an adequate supply of prescribed medication to last the entire trip as some drugs may not be available overseas.
6. If possible secure international medical insurance for emergencies
7. Make sure that they have extra cash or ensure that sufficient funds are available on the credit card in the event of medical emergencies which may warrant doctor fees, hospitalization, hotel accommodation, flight changes etc.
8. Contact information for family doctors and specialists should be kept handy.
9. Get a mobile telephone that roams so that family members can be readily contacted in the event of an emergency.
10. Ensure that they eat a proper meal and do not rely on food to be provided on the flight, particularly where there are specific dietary requirements.
11. Make arrangements for wheelchair needs in advance.
12. Request an aisle seat to allow for easy access to the restroom as seniors tend to go to the toilet more often.

During the Flight
1. Caribbean seniors tend to travel with lots of gifts and goodies including food for relatives living overseas. Whereas this is a nice gesture, it is not wise to be burdened with heavy luggage, particularly hand luggage which needs to be stored overhead. If these items must be taken, then plan to pay for extra checked luggage and pack non-perishable items there.
2. The following items should be packed in hand luggage:
• Prescription drugs especially for patients with diabetes, hypertension, heart conditions
• Pain killers
• Blood pressure monitor (these days every adult needs one)
• Sweater, shawl or light blanket
• Glasses
• Hand sanitizer
• Socks
• Ear plugs
• Travel pillow
• Change of clothing
• Chewing gum
• Snacks
• Water

3. Loose clothing and comfortable shoes should be worn.
4. Caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, dairy products, sweets and heavy meals should be avoided for the duration of the trip.
5. Seniors should drink a lot of water to prevent dehydration and walk around particularly during long flights to ensure good blood circulation and to prevent blood clots in the vein of the legs and deep vein thrombosis. They should also do leg and foot stretches while seated.

After the Flight
• Seniors should build in an easy day or two to recover from jet lag and schedule plenty of rest days during the holiday, particularly in hot weather.
• They should also try to maintain diet and eating routines as far as possible, and include some light exercises during the holiday such as walking or swimming.

• Drink bottled water, particularly where there is uncertainty about the quality of the water supply.

BON VOYAGE!

References:

• http://www.livestrong.com/article/14634-airline-travel-tips-for-seniors/#ixzz21OeHLAAF

• http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Travel_tips_for_seniors

Come On – Get on your Hobby Horse before its too late

I’ve just finished watching two and a half weeks of the Olympics and what an exciting period it has been! My friends and I were setting our alarms for four o’clock in the morning to watch the morning events in London and then spending endless hours reliving the excitement of them. I’ll do the same thing for the next world athletic championships and for world cup football and cricket. It’s a hobby and it’s fun like my other hobbies. I don’t have as much time as I would like for all my hobbies during my busy schedule now, but I am looking forward to the time when I don’t have to rush out of the garden to hit the shower and head off to work, and can linger and literally stop to smell the roses.

Unfortunately I know many seniors who find themselves at a total loss when it comes to their retirement because they have never built hobbies and recreation into their lives. As I write this I’m thinking of a particular gentleman whose daily post retirement routine consists of walking between the kitchen TV and the bedroom TV. He lives with his adult children and is driving them crazy as he is constantly underfoot and depends totally on them for emotional stimulation. He seems to be unhappy and bored and is even showing signs of depression. There are lots of stories like this that I could cite and I’m sure that you know quite a few too.

There is life after retirement – medical advances have meant that most seniors, that is people over 65, can live a full and exciting life with only a few concessions for their age group. If you don’t have plans for that life however you might be like the retiree described above – lots of energy and endless time but nothing to do with it. Hobbies allow active seniors to socialize, find companionship and camaraderie. Making connections with others that have the same interests can often open an individual to new found friendships.

On the other hand without anything to motivate and excite them, some seniors may sink into depression because they don’t seem to have anything to live for, or they may develop chronic lifestyle illnesses such as diabetes or heart diseases because of the inactivity. Lack of physical and mental activity may also help to speed on Dementia or Alzheimers. Hobbies and interests after retirement are not just a good way to pass the time – they are almost an imperative.

If you have seniors or near seniors in your life, encourage them in their current activities and encourage them to develop new activities. You may have to jumpstart the process by identifying places where they can volunteer time, clubs that they can be a part of and so on. If you have access to senior citizens associations you can start there, but remember that seniors don’t have to hang out with only other seniors. Hobbies that keep them in touch with younger adults and even teenagers can be of mutual benefit. Don’t assume that you know what they want however. Encourage them to dream – for example, a parent who has never travelled may secretly have wanderlust and just want a little encouragement to start packing those bags and heading for places unknown. Also, don’t impose your needs on the seniors in your life and therefore limit them. For example while most seniors love their grandchildren, they don’t necessarily want to have day to day responsibility for pickup and after school care. Most importantly don’t age them prematurely by assuming that they can’t engage in particular activities, or are too old to learn new ones, and where necessary, help them to overcome their own feelings that they are ‘too old’ for particular activities.

For those of us who haven’t gotten to retirement but have it in view, now is the time to restore some balance to life and start preparing for post-retirement. If you have existing hobbies then see how you can explore them a bit more. Perhaps you could join a club for people with your interests. If there isn’t one why not start one in your area? Don’t neglect online resources where you can connect with fellow enthusiasts around the world. It’s also a time to pick up new hobbies – those things that you have thought about doing but haven’t gotten around to doing. It is tricky because in our late forties and fifties many of us have additional work responsibilities, but it’s critical to find the balance. You may also want to start some volunteer activities at your church, alma mater or anywhere you think that you can make a difference. Even if you are very busy with family and work, start with what is manageable, because you can always expand the time spent later on. If you retire at 65 you could quite possibly live another thirty years of relatively good health – what are you going to do with them? Time to start planning!