Category: PHC News

Losing the ability to drive as a consequence of age-related health issues is often the most upsetting challenge older adults face post-retirement. It’s a fundamental part of independence and the feeling of self-reliance. Unfortunately, at some point, it becomes difficult, if not dangerous. These issues can cause restricted mobility, slowed reactions, and difficulty in hearing, making it risky for older adults to be driving on the roads. While age alone is no reason to take away the keys, there are certain factors that you and your homecare assistance provider should look out for. 

In this blog, we will discuss the ways that age can affect driving skills as well as the health issues that make it challenging for some seniors to drive safely.

How Age Can Impact Your Driving Skills

Simple tasks like grocery shopping or running errands are something we all take for granted most of our lives. Especially in the United States, owning and driving a car is fundamental to our sense of independence and freedom. 

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that advanced age and declining motor skills have an adverse – and potentially lethal – effect on driving skills. Everyone ages differently, so there’s no “magic” age at which a person should give up driving and rely on others instead. However, all of us – at some point in our lives – will face challenges behind the wheel. Whether due to underlying medical illnesses or just the fact that the body and mind are no longer suited for operating a potentially deadly vehicle, continuing to drive out of pride means becoming a potential danger to the driver – and others – on the roads.

Medical Conditions 

Various medical conditions can impact driving skills. Based on the symptoms and intensity, can be very risky for older adults to be on the roads without any care management personnel. 

Many medical conditions can prevent someone from being cleared to drive temporarily or even for life:

• Fainting
• Epileptic shocks
• Sleep disorders
• The chances of a stroke

Additionally, certain mental health diagnoses like dementia or Parkinson’s disease can make it difficult for healthcare professionals to assess whether the patient would be fit to drive.  Driving with dementia is a particularly dangerous mix, especially in its early stages when patients’ symptoms aren’t always noticeable. That’s why dementia home health care management needs to be highly vigilant and closely monitor changes in the older adult’s behavior.

Medications with Dangerous Side Effects

Another factor impacting driving skills is the side effects of medications that many older adults take. Most seniors are required to take a regular dose of prescription drugs to stay fit and healthy. Unfortunately, most of these drugs come with some adverse effects.

Common side effects of prescription drugs include:

• Dizziness
• Slower reaction time
• Drowsiness
• Fainting
• Blurred vision
• Inability to focus

It doesn’t take a medical expert to understand that all of these effects can be extremely dangerous if they occur while driving.

These symptoms are prevalent in people who take anti-anxiety pills, allergy medication, pain relief, or sleeping pills. Consequently, it’s imperative to discuss these potential side effects with your private duty caregiver and get the green signal from them before going behind the wheel.

Age-Related Health Issues that Impact Driving Skills

Now that you know of the main two reasons why age messes with driving skills let’s discuss the specific age-related health issues that are bound to make driving dangerous for older adults.

Reduced Vision Range

A big – and obvious – reason, why someone may need to stop driving, is reduced or impaired vision. As we age, we may develop various eye conditions like macular degeneration or glaucoma. 

Fortunately, early detection and treatment can solve most of these vision-related diseases, so this may be a temporary pause if there are no other mitigating factors. It’s crucial to schedule regular eye appointments at increasingly frequent intervals to stay on top of it. Conditions can develop more quickly and suddenly in our 60’s and 70’s than they did in our 30’s and 40’s. This means increased vigilance is necessary. 

Loss of Hearing

Hearing is another major sensory stimulation that we use when driving, and obviously also starts to weaken as we get older. Hearing loss can make it challenging for seniors to drive as they cannot notice honking, police sirens, or even sounds from their own cars. They won’t be able to detect approaching emergency vehicles or realize that their car’s engine might be acting up.

Again, the best way to counter this is regular checkups. If the hearing loss is significant, your audiologist can offer hearing aids to help. Also, keep the car interior as quiet as possible when an older adult is driving; it’ll help them concentrate on the sounds coming in from the outside environment.

In Summary – Get Professional Clearance

If you or a loved one cherishes driving, it can be tough – really tough – to deal with the decision to give it up. So before you get to that point here’s a checklist. Let the evidence make that decision – not a “gut feel”. 

1. Regular healthcare checkups will help the homecare personnel determine if the senior person is clear to drive. 
2. Consult the private duty caregiver or doctor and ask them about any possible side effects of illnesses or medication. 
3. Regular eyesight and hearing checks. 
4. Exercising regularly – even just regular 30 minutes walks
5. Stretching – Especially the neck and oblique muscles. Mimic the body movements you will need to make behind the wheel. 
6. Fine Motor skills activities

March is Social Work Month and it’s a time to celebrate our invaluable Social Workers. The theme for Social Work Month 2021 is “Social Workers Are Essential”. Is that ever true. Essential is an adjective meaning absolutely necessary; extremely important. Social workers are essential to community well-being. 

For more than 120 years, the social work profession in the United States has helped bend the arc of justice, making our nation a more equitable and inclusive place.

Some Facts and Figures

There are more than 700,000 professional social workers employed in the United States and more than three million worldwide. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics continues to identify social work as one of the fastest-growing professions in the United States. 

In fact, social workers are everywhere people need help navigating tough life challenges. They contribute to interdisciplinary care teams in schools, hospitals, mental health centers, nonprofits,

corporations, the military—and in local, state, and the federal government. Many social work professionals also own private consultation practices.

However, the social work profession faces challenges. There is a shortage of social workers in schools where they are needed to help young people cope with complicated issues such as trauma, poverty, the opioid addiction crisis, and the need for more resources to help students learn during the pandemic.

The nation needs even more social workers as it continues to deal with entrenched problems that have stressed our society, including systemic racism and the Coronavirus pandemic. The United States is also experiencing one of its worst economic downturns since the Great Depression. Social workers are on the front lines, helping people overcome these crises. 

Essential doesn’t begin to describe it.

A “Thankless Job”

Being a social worker has often been described as a thankless job. Long hours, tough cases, low pay. They often care so deeply for those they serve, they put their own well-being in jeopardy. They can be mental health professionals, case managers, or administrators, but are also more than the sum of these. They are communicators. Connectors. Negotiators. And advocates for their clients. They have knowledge that not only helps individuals and families but for communities and organizations as well.

When The Chips Are Down, Social Workers Show Up

During the COVID-19 public health emergency and in response to growing racial unrest, social workers gained national visibility as a crisis-ready workforce trained to help people find resources and de-escalate community conflict. Hospital social workers scrambled to help patients suffering from coronavirus infections get the best possible care, stay in contact with their families, and access necessary services for recovery after being released from the hospital. And when patients died, they were there, comforting survivors and helping them manage their grief. 

Other social workers helped isolated older adults create life-enhancing social connections; ensured homebound schoolchildren got meals and other resources needed to learn; addressing the challenges of students learning from home or trying to go back to school safely, and finding emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness. 

Many quickly pivoted to offering virtual therapy to accommodate more clients seeking mental health support. Social workers also pressed local, state, and federal governments to help already struggling families survive during the pandemic’s economic downturn. They were helping individuals who were now living with their abusers 24/7 during lockdowns and quarantines. 

Additionally, as the nation collectively grappled with racism and racial inequality in the summer of 2020, the social work profession called this out. Social work has continually been one to try to address the systemic racism we see in our communities. 

Unsung Heroes

Social workers often are unsung heroes, but they play an essential role in helping people from all walks of life and backgrounds to live life to the fullest. During social work month, we hope you will learn more about this amazing profession, say a kind word to the social workers in your lives, and advocate for policies and legislation that benefit the profession and the populations they serve. Social workers have been a primary source of support for all of us and will continue to be there forever. Take time this month to be there for them. 

We are happy to announce that Village Senior Care is now part of Private Home Care.

If you are a client of Village Senior Care, we want to welcome you to the Private Home Care family. We also want to assure you that under Private Home Care, you will continue to receive the same top-level care you have received through Village Senior Care and can expect to rely on the same care team and relationships you have had.

With our resources combined, we will be able to provide the absolute best home care services to the Chicago area that provides true peace of mind. We hold similar values and philosophies on doing business, and we expect to have a smooth transition as our companies merge.

Over the last ten years, Village Senior Care has built a reputation in Chicago for having high-caliber caregivers and for personalized care that is flexible to clients’ changing needs.

Private Home Care recently began expanding into Chicago after building a strong reputation in St. Louis for concierge-level service and the best caregivers in the industry. Private Home Care is known for its MatchCare™ Model, where clients have their own dedicated Care Coordinator who is available 24/7 and a consistent team of professional caregivers. This relationship-based approach to home health care gives clients personalized, consistent, and transparent care that exceeds all expectations.

Private Home Care also carefully hires its Caregivers for their professional experience and skills, but also because they are well rounded, compassionate individuals. And because we value quality care over profit, we pay our caregivers 25% more than the industry average.

For both companies, customer service has always been of the utmost importance, and we want to exceed your expectations. If you have questions or have an issue during our transition, please reach out to us at (847) 779-3352. We value your opinion and want to hear how we can best help you and your family.