Archive for 2018
Driving After a Stroke
This week, I worked with a client whose stroke left him with expressive aphasia. While he was able to easily understand what was said to him, at times, he had trouble finding the words to answer questions and even express himself. Can you imagine how frustrating this is? He had recovered well in all other…
Read MoreDriving & Dementia: OT Strategies for Evaluation & Intervention
With the changes the dementia disease process causes in the brain, it is no surprise that the ability to drive would be affected. Current research related to individuals with dementia and driving indicates that it is not a matter of if they should stop driving, but when they should they stop driving. Therefore, in this…
Read MoreOT Strategies: Driving Retirement Strategies for Dementia
When working with a client with dementia and caregivers, remember that the conversation about driving retirement is most likely more for the benefit of the family, as opposed to the person with dementia. The person with dementia will most likely not be able to abide by driving retirement independently and will require the support from…
Read MoreConversations About Driving: Tips for the OT
Conversations about driving and community mobility do not come naturally for most OTs. But this is an important topic we all need to address. Here some tips to help you be be more confident during your next conversation about driving. Strategies for Effective Driving Conversations: Find a role model – conversations and interventions Remember to…
Read MoreBut What About Driving?
Why we, as occupational therapy practitioners, must think about driving The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers. ~Dave Barry, “Things That It Took Me 50 Years to Learn” For me,…
Read MoreFamilies & Caregivers: When Should We Approach the Topic of Driving Retirement?
Regardless of age, many people consider driving to be a freedom or right. When it comes to older adults, however, driving conversations have focused on ‘taking the keys’ and other messages of driving cessation, also known as driving retirement. Stories of older adults involved in crashes have been sensationalized in the media. No wonder drivers,…
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