Parkinson’s Disease’s Impact On Driving
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a degenerative neurological disorder that can impair motor skills, vision, cognitive ability, and other physical and neurological processes needed for safe driving. These changes are not a result of personal shortcomings, but of problems caused by the illness itself. It can be very challenging seeing a loved one impacted by Parkinson’s.…
Read MoreDriving Challenges With Aging
Our bodies and brains naturally change as we get older, which will undoubtedly have an influence on our driving skills. These changes, ranging from reduced response times to changes in visual and cognitive processing, vary based on the individual. While being old does not inherently make a driver hazardous or a risk factor on the…
Read MoreDriving With An Amputation
Limb amputation is a major life change that can impact many facets of your life, including driving. Itโs important to understand that with the right adaptive equipment and vehicle modifications, it is possible to safely return to driving after limb amputation. By working with your team of healthcare professionals and an Occupational Therapy Driver Rehabilitation…
Read MoreDriving With Peripheral Neuropathy
What Is Peripheral Neuropathy? Peripheral neuropathy is a chronic condition that involves damage to the peripheral nerves. These nerves play an essential role in transmitting sensory information from the limbs to the brain and sending signals from the brain to the muscles. What Are The Causes Of Peripheral Neuropathy? Because the condition is typically acquired…
Read MoreDriving After a Stroke
For many people, driving is an essential aspect of their independence โ not just a benefit. However, an individualโs capacity to drive may be significantly impacted after experiencing a stroke. Understanding these challenges and looking for available solutions can help many stroke survivors regain their independence on the road. How Does A Stroke Impact Ability…
Read MoreDriving & Dementia or Alzheimer’s
Deciding whether or not to allow a loved one with dementia to continue driving is a very difficult choice that families have to face. The progression of dementia, particularly Alzheimerโs disease, can have a substantial impact on cognitive abilities, such as judgment, memory, processing speed, and spatial awareness. Understanding the consequences and making informed decisions…
Read MoreDriving & Mild Cognitive Impairment
Driving is a complex activity that requires various cognitive abilities, including memory, focus, and decision making. For individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), these abilities may begin to diminish and create major concerts about their safety behind the wheel. Understanding how MCI impacts driving abilities is essential not only for the benefit of your loved…
Read MoreDriving and Macular Degeneration
The ability to drive safely is closely related to effective visual function. Approximately 90% of the information a driver receives is visual, making good eyesight essential for operating a vehicle. Key functions that contribute to safe driving include: Peripheral Vision: The awareness of the surrounding environment to detect potential hazards from the left and right…
Read More15 OT Certifications and Specialties
The dynamic and multifaceted field of occupational therapy is essential in assisting people navigating challenges and enhancing their quality of life. With a wide variety of specialties and certifications available, occupational therapists (OTs) can customize their expertise to meet the unique needs of their clients. Here, we will go over some of the most popular…
Read MoreADEDโs 48th Annual Conference Recap
Adaptive Mobility had the pleasure of participating in the 48th annual ADED Conference! This year’s conference took place in Kansas City, Missouri, from October 4 to 8. This event is a highlight for us and many other driver rehabilitation specialists. Being able to listen to experts to share information, experiences, and the most recent breakthroughs…
Read MoreTips for the OTP: Help Your Patient Return to Driving After Illness or Injury.
๐บ๏ธ Driving in an unfamiliar area without GPS is stressful. ๐๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ค๐ญ๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ด ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ช๐ท๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ข๐ง๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ซ๐ถ๐ณ๐บ. Navigating the return to driving without support or guidance creates more stress and frustration than is necessary. As an OTP, youโre uniquely positioned to support these clients with expertise and empathy,…
Read MoreTips for the OTP: How to Talk to My Patient About Driving Retirement
๐๐ฐ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ช๐ท๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ต๐ช๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ ๐ง๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ญ๐ช๐ฆ๐ด, ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ธ๐ข๐ช๐ต ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ญ ๐ข ๐ด๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ฐ๐ถ๐ด ๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ค๐ค๐ถ๐ณ๐ด? ๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ. Driving retirement often becomes a traumatic loss of independence where clients and their families are left to figure out their next stepsโฆ ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ต ๐ช๐ต ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ธ๐ข๐บ.…
Read MorePat Summit Foundation’s 5th Annual Dementia Symposium
It was a privilege for Adaptive Mobility to attend the Pat Summitt 5th Annual Dementia Symposium, which took place from May 2-3, 2024, at the Knoxville Convention Center. With a strong emphasis on both pharmaceutical and non-pharmacological management options, this event brought together professionals and a wide range of specialists to exchange knowledge and information…
Read MorePenn Memory Empowering Caregivers Series
Penn Memory Empowering Caregivers Series Addresses Driving and Dementia Susie Touchinsky, a distinguished occupational therapist and certified driver rehabilitation specialist, shines as she shares her insights during the Penn Memory Empowering Caregivers Series on Friday, October 27, 2023. Penn Memory Empower Caregiver Series The Penn Memory Empowering Caregivers Workshop Series is a dedicated initiative to…
Read MorePractitioner Strategies for Driving & Dementia – Supporting Successful Driving Retirement
Practitioner Strategies for Driving and Dementia – Supporting Successful Driving Retirement Over the past two decades, our understanding of dementia care and management has evolved significantly. As a result, valuable insights into the complex world of dementia, driving, and cognitive decline have emerged.ย In this blog, I will share key insights and practitioner strategies for driving…
Read MoreVision Changes? An OT Driver Rehabilitation Specialist May Help!
Vision Changes? An OT Driver Rehabilitation Specialist May Help! How to stay safe on the road if you have eyesight issues When we drive, we are constantly relying on vision as our primary sense to keep us safe. Therefore, if we have issues with our eyes or pre-existing conditions which affect eyesight, we are bound…
Read MoreSusie’s Journey – Creating an Ideal Life
Everything happens for a reason. In 2018, I woke up to an early calendar invite from human resources. In that moment, I new my life was about to change.ย I was working as the director ofย a growing driver rehabilitation program with a major rehab company. Never had I anticipated being part of the huge…
Read MoreVehicle Technology for Drivers with Disabilities
Vehicle Technology for Drivers with Disabilities One of the cool things about technology is how it can be used to make everyday tasks easier. With technology, we can press a button to open a door, enter a room and have a sensor turn on a light, and speak to any voice service (like Alexa) to…
Read MoreWhy In-Person Training is Monumentally Important for OTs in Driver Rehab Practices
As OTs we value education & training that includes coursework and fieldwork. Frankly, the combination of the two is what weโve known since our undergraduate days.ย In the specialty area of driver rehab, where OTs learn to assess driverโs abilities, then train/retrain drivers using adaptive equipment, both coursework and in-person training are absolutely essential!ย __________________________________________________…
Read MoreHow becoming physically or mentally impaired affects your license?
In Pennsylvania, what happens to my license if I become physically or mentally impaired? Do you live in the state of Pennsylvania? If so, did you know that your healthcare provider is required by law to report any medical related conditions that may impact your driving? As long as you are 15 years of age…
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