While many elders are able to continue driving in their later years, not everyone can maintain quick reflexes, good eyesight, and other factors that could impair their ability to stay safe on the road. For most people, losing their ability to drive causes them to become much more dependent on others, so it can be very difficult to convince them they should give up their keys. However, it is important to remember that safety, both for your parent and everyone else on the road, is the number one priority. It is much easier to deal with the short-term hurt feelings or anger than to lose a parent in an accident that could have been prevented.
This situation could possibly be eased if the parent would want to live in a senior community because often times, they provide transportation to popular locations and also have many activities for residents to participate in. In this case, the elder may willingly give up their driving privileges if they do not need their own car to get around town.
Oftentimes, losing the ability to drive is only the first in a series of many changes resulting in a much greater dependence on others. Chronic diseases are very common among the elderly, and over time, these can cripple them and prevent them from being able to care for themselves. Most elders today finish their lives in nursing homes. While that idea is not favorable, it is not as common for families to take care of the elders due to busy schedules and high demands of care needed.
Another challenge is to find a nursing home or assisted living facility that meets quality requirements of the family while still being somewhat affordable. On average, and elder spends two and a half years in a nursing home, but most often, they run out of money long before that. This fact should make it apparent to Americans that changes need to be enacted to keep seniors from losing their life savings in order to receive end-of-life care.
No comments:
Post a Comment