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      03-31-2015, 06:12 PM   #2
PINeely
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Drives: 2013 535i, 2015 Tundra 1794
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Jackson, MS

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It's a hard decision to make. As a shrink I can tell you that the loss of independence is a HUGE source of anxiety in the life of an elderly individual. This is why they hate nursing homes. This is why they insist on doing things themselves even though they know in their mind that they can't or shouldn't. But the part of me which isn't affiliated with my job says that at a certain point, we can't allow these anxieties to interfere with the lives of others.

You can't get a driver's license wen you are blind because you can't see. You can't get one if you are a quadriplegic because you have no means of controlling the vehicle. Practically speaking, these very old individuals are in the same boat because they can no longer see properly, their reaction time is reduced, their motor skills are degraded and they sometimes exhibit symptoms of dementia, etc. I don't think that just because someone has had a DL for 50+ years that they should be allowed to keep driving, when for all intensive purposes, they physically can't.

As for how to talk to your father, he won't take it well no matter how you decide to approach him about it. Again, we are talking about a loss of independence here. At 93 driving is likely one of the few things that he still feels he can do himself. Be blunt and be fair. Forthright is best. Godspeed.
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