Complain about a product or service

Demented Drivers a Growing Traffic Menace

Doctors Enlisted to Watch for Signs of Dementia in Patients

December 26, 2006
The surge of baby boomers now entering their 60s means more drivers on the road may be impaired by dementia or other cognitive impairments linked to aging.

Researchers at the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and elsewhere have developed a three-hour workshop that trains health care providers to identify potentially unsafe drivers with dementia and to encourage appropriate retirement from driving.

"We don't want to give the message that older drivers are always unsafe, because that's just not the case," says Thomas Meuser, Ph.D., research associate professor of neurology at Washington University. "But there are health-related changes associated with aging, including Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, that impair medical fitness to drive."

In a recent issue of the Gerontologist, Meuser and colleagues reported on the effects of their workshop after presentations to health professionals in seven Missouri locations, including a number of rural cities with large elderly populations. The presentations were organized with assistance from local chapters of the Alzheimer's Association and other groups.

"We found a significant change in the willingness of participants to ask their patients questions about driving and to document findings and concerns in the medical record," Meuser says. "There was a real sense among participants that yes, there is something that I can do."

Debate is underway about when in the progression of dementia a patient becomes ineligible to drive. Most states do not have specific prohibitions in this regard, but all states allow health professionals and others to report persons perceived as medically unfit to drive due to dementia or other conditions. In 2001, the American Academy of Neurology recommended that people diagnosed with mild dementia stop driving for reasons of personal and public safety.

Physicians at Washington University use the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) interview to determine the level of dementia-related impairment. According to Meuser, a CDR rating of 1, representing mild to moderate deficits in memory and other cognitive and functional areas, is a reasonable stage at which retirement from driving may be initiated.

"Primary care physicians and other health professionals often have limited experience in diagnosing dementia and assessing driving safety, but a small amount of additional training can make a big difference," Meuser notes.

At the workshop, Meuser introduces Alzheimer's disease and its various stages. In another section, workshop developer David B. Carr, M.D., associate professor of medicine and of neurology, explains an American Medical Association (AMA) recommendation that physicians risk-stratify their patients, grouping them on the basis of their clinical observations into safe, unsafe and unsure. This offers physicians unfamiliar with the specialized process of CDR testing a framework to help identify patients who may need to be prohibited from driving.

Pat Niewoehner, workshop coauthor and a driver rehabilitation specialist with the St. Louis Veteran's Administration Medical Center, demonstrates the role of the occupational therapist - driver rehabilitation specialist in evaluating medical fitness to drive.

Another coauthor, Marla Berg-Weger, Ph.D., professor of social work at Saint Louis University, shows physicians how they can cooperate with family members to eliminate patient access to driving and seek alternate forms of transportation that allow patients to continue to lead fulfilling lives. Included is a videotaped dramatization of a physician working with a demented patient and a family member.

"It's important for healthcare providers to realize there are others who can help," Meuser says.

"This is an exciting time for research and education in support of older driver safety, and there's a role for just about everyone in these efforts," says Meuser. "Above all, we must work together to ensure that older adults can remain mobile and productive even when they have to give up driving."

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Back to the top |