School’s out and that means a whole slew of new teen drivers will be on the road. While the thought of a 16-year-old behind the wheel makes me nervous, senior drivers who have not recently evaluated their driving skills can also make me run for cover.

June is National Safety Month and the National Safety Council has designated this year’s theme as "Safety: It takes all of us," and was inspired by the idea of continuous risk reduction. The Council’s emphasis this year is on putting an end to distracted driving but I think its a great time to revisit the challenges facing the mature driver.

It’s been written that “Adult children would rather talk to parents about funeral plans than about taking away the car keys.” It’s a difficult conversation—many seniors associate driving with independence (that they don’t want to relinquish.) For the adult children of driving seniors, revoking that driving privilege can mean picking up the slack and becoming chauffeur to mom or dad, at least until Google’s self-driving car becomes available.

So how do you know if it’s time to take away the keys, or are there steps to ensure the senior can hang on to those keys just a little longer?

Caregiverlist® provides our own Safe Driving Checklist. We’ve provided some basic red-flags that might mean it’s time to reexamine a senior's on-road capabilities. These include:

• Vision: Is the senior able to pass a vision test? (Cataracts, Glaucoma and Macular Degeneration can all impact vision quality).
• Are there any unexplained dents in the paint of the car or on the garage?
• Does the senior allow others to ride in the car with them when they are driving?
• Does the senior seem nervous or extra anxious when driving? Does the senior take alternate routes to avoid major highways?
• Does the senior fail to stop at red lights or stop signs?
• Are speed limits obeyed (Not driving too slow or too fast)?
• Have neighbors or others who see the senior driving (anyone who also attends a regular event they may drive to) observed anything unsafe? 

Also, talk to their physician to see if any of their medications can affect their driving ability.

If the above are not at issue and your senior is feels relatively safe to drive, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor vehicles suggests some self-imposed limitations which may include driving only during daylight hours, staying home when weather conditions are poor, avoiding rush hour, and driving less.

AAA, the leader in driver safety, offers many online tools to evaluate and improve senior driving skills. They also suggest taking driver improvement courses. These can teach older drivers how to adjust for slower reflexes, weaker vision and other changes. Taking and passing a comprehensive driving improvement course can result in potential discounts on insurance premiums.

It’s important that seniors realize the risks associated with accidents. Statistics say drivers age 85 and older are injured or killed in crashes at a higher rate than any other age group. This is due primarily to increased fragility that comes with age. Older senior drivers are generally less able to withstand the forces of a crash, so they are more likely to become injured.

Effective September 30, 2010, drivers 75 years of age or older can only renew a driver's license at an DMV branch or AAA office. The operator must either pass a vision test or present a completed Vision Screening Certificate. If you need to contact your local DMV, check out Caregiverlist’s® Department of Motor Vehicles by State list.

The commute to work or driving a senior client to a doctor's appointment can become stressful if you hit unexpected traffic. Senior caregivers can use the Waze app to plan their driving routes before they start the car and minimize their time spent in traffic by picking the best route as displayed on the app in real time. 

The Waze app allows drivers to type in their start and end points and receive directions in the same style as a GPS, but it also shows other users in the area on the map who are in transit and how fast they're traveling. Simply by turning the app on and entering a destination, users share information about their speed and travel time with the app. Using this data, the app determines where the heaviest traffic lies so that it can prepare an accurate estimated time of arrival and the fastest route of travel for users. As seniors must take a new driver's test in some states, once they reach a certain age, this service can be helpful as they prepare for their driving test. Caregiverlist provides a listing of state requirements for senior's driving tests.

Drivers also have the ability to report a traffic jam, an accident, a hazard or a closure at specific spots on the interactive map so caregivers can be prepared for what lies on their route and the directions can offer them an alternate route if necessary. Although the app asks drivers to report these in specific areas when they encounter them, remember to practice safe driving. Make a note of where you encountered the traffic jam or the closure and report it on the map once you arrive at your destination.

For senior caregivers, the Waze app provides an opportunity to avoid extra stress while commuting or while driving with a senior client by more effectively planning a drive before getting behind the wheel. If there's unavoidable heavy traffic, the app will predict how long travel time will be so caregivers can get on the road ten minutes earlier and eliminate stress about being late. 

The Waze app is available for free for Apple and Android platforms.

Senior caregivers, let us know your feedback on this app and keep us posted if you discover additional apps that assist with caregiving duties and help relieve caregiver stress. You may also refer-a-friend to a senior caregiving job and win prizes weekly and monthly on Caregiverlist. 

-Paige Krzysko

Caregivers employed with senior care companies know the realities of caregiver stress. Caregiverlist invites all family caregivers and professional caregivers to take a moment for relaxation with our photo of the week and inspirational quote. This week's photo features mountain landscape mountain taken from airplane. Thank you for caring for our seniors and please refer your friends to apply for part-time and full-time job positions on Caregiverlist.com and visit our career center for additional career tools.

"Success is never final but failure can be."

Bill Parcells

Do you think your parent or grandparent may be at a point where they need caregiving services to help them better navigate their daily living as they deal with the challenges of medical illnesses or memory loss?  Are you noticing they are not keeping up with some of their household maintenance or staying active in their interests?  And do you know where they would like to be cared for should an emergency arise - in their home by a Senior Home Care Agency or in a nursing community?

It can be difficult to start the conversation about senior care needs with a loved one.  Holidays are often the only time relatives are able to spend lengthy time with their older family members yet they are not necessarily the best time to have these conversations about life changes since holidays are often already stressful times for seniors as they are reminded of lost loved ones and the realities of growing older.

Taking the time for a spring cleaning visit can provide an opportunity to participate in a needed activity with your senior relatives while also checking up on their care needs. Parents usually are accepting of this as you are assisting with a needed task. And, while performing spring cleaning, you will have a closer look into their daily living habits to see if there are any additional care needs or medical conditions that should be checked to assist your senior loved ones to enjoy healthy aging.

Catching a senior's medical and care needs early will assist in slowing the progression of some age-related illnesses and assist in maintaining a safe environment for the senior as they age. Seniors often will not share signs of age-related illnesses because of their fears associated with dealing with the new medical conditions and other times they simply do not notice the changes because they develop slowly. Spring cleaning offers the perfect opportunity to interact with a senior and to do a health check-up on their activities of daily living.

Here are some senior spring cleaning tips and ways to incorporate checking on potential age-related diseases and conditions such as hearing loss, vision loss, weight gain, arthritis and forgetfulness as you are assisting your senior loved one with their spring cleaning.

• Closets: Reorganize and assist with storing the out-of-season clothing and discarding the out-of-style clothing. Take a look to make sure clothing is being kept clean and well maintained.   Alert: Seniors developing vision loss, such as Macular Degeneration or memory loss, such as Alzheimer's Disease may begin to wear the same clothing over and over again and not keep up with laundry regularly.
• Bathroom: Clean and organize the bathroom medicine cabinet and discard old or unused items. Check to see if the shower or bathtub is being used regularly and if anything is in need of repair. Check medicine cabinet and toss or remove any medications which are no longer prescribed.   Alert: Are non-skid rugs in place? Are there any new medicines or care products which would indicate new medical conditions you may not be aware of? Is it time for a grab-bar or raised toilet seat for safety? Bathrooms offer easy opportunities for falls for seniors with mobility issues which may be caused by age-related medical conditions or side-effects of medications.
• Kitchen: Clean out the refrigerator. Are there any buried treasures with expiration dates long passed? Does it look like they are eating a nutritious diet?  Check all appliances to make sure they are functioning properly and that there have been no equipment damages due to misuse. Alert: Eating regular meals is important for good health at all ages. Consider what health conditions or medications may require special dietary needs. Check for sodium levels in prepared foods. Discuss the daily meal plans to see if additional kitchen tools might make meal preparation easier or if the senior needs help in diversifying their menu.
• Living Room: Remove and clean curtains, vacuum and shampoo the carpet and dust and clean furniture. Are there any rugs or mats which could lend to tripping or falling more easily? Does the furniture need to be re-arranged for easier use?  Alert: Check to see if it looks like a daily routine is being maintained and notice if reading or television watching have decreased which could be signs of vision or hearing loss.
• Bedroom: Change bed linens and check to see if bedding has been changed regularly and if they have been sleeping in the bed. Do they need new bed linens or is it time to discuss a new mattress to assist with more comfortable sleep? Alert: Seniors will sometimes begin to sleep in an easy chair or sofa instead of their bed due to a variety of conditions from depression to new physical conditions such as back, neck or leg pain or because they are becoming confused about time of day.
• Driving: If the senior is still driving, take a ride with them to the grocery store or to run an errand to make sure they are driving safely. Check the car and garage to make sure there are no dents or damages from inappropriate driving.  Alert: Seniors who inappropriately drive risk their lives and the lives of others on the road. Learn about the senior driving laws in each state and how to find assistance if it is time to take the keys away. Office: Confirm the names and contact information for all the medical doctors and their pharmacy. Update list of medical conditions and medications. Confirm Power of Attorney for financial matters and for healthcare.

While engaged in spring cleaning, you can find a time to talk about the long-term plans for senior care by discussing what otehrs are doing and finding out their current plans for care should the need arise.  Confirm what their plan for senior care needs would be and their retirement care budget so you can be prepared in case of an emergency. Discuss long-term care insurance policy options and the financial capacity to pay for private care, as Medicare does not provide for long-term care. Usually seniors will agree to have you help with their spring cleaning and because you are spending interactive time with them, you will be more likely to notice any changes in their care needs and make necessary arrangements in order to prevent a medical emergency later.