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By Danny Cain 

For many caregivers one of the most difficult decisions to make when caring for someone who is memory impaired is whether to restrict their driving privileges. Taking away these privileges signifies the loss of independence and can place the responsibility of transportation on the caregiver and others. The person with Alzheimer's disease may even feel threatened by losing this independence causing them to delay their decision to relinquish this privilege.

While many people who have early stage Alzheimer's disease or other types of memory impairment are still quite capable of driving, the likelihood that they may be involved in an accident increases. If you are caring for someone that is memory impaired and is still driving you should evaluate his or her skill level frequently to determine whether they should continue. As a general rule of thumb it is best to err on the side of safety then to run the risk of injury.

Although persons with Alzheimer's disease lose their intellectual functioning abilities at various rates and to different degrees, the continued driving of motor vehicles places them at considerable risk due to these losses. The persons intellectual functions (memory, thinking ability, communication skills, reasoning, judgment, and attention) are likely to be affected over a period of time and will become progressively worse as the disease is allowed to runs its course.

Regulatory Considerations & Restrictions

When it comes to deciding what to do with a loved one that you feel is potentially dangerous behind the wheel of a car you may not need to go any further then to contact the Transportation Cabinet in the state where you live. Most states have Medical Review Boards that are appointed to determine who is unsafe to operate a motor vehicle due to mental or physical disabilities.

There are usually specific guidelines and criteria for determining conditions, which may affect the safe driving of a vehicle. These conditions usually fall into the following categories:

• A history of illness;
• The severity of symptoms and the persons prognosis;
• Complications arriving from multiple conditions;
• Treatment and medication use, including effects and side effects;
• Medical test results and various reports of laboratory findings;
• Physician's medical report and examination findings;
• Physician's findings and recommendations; and
• Physician's assessment and determination of other identified risk factors.

Other factors that may play into the decision of a Medical Review Board to restrict, deny, cancel or not issue an operator's license include:

• Reports of driver condition and behaviors;
• Results of any driving evaluation tests of the person;
• The persons failure to provide requested information for the purposes of examinations and driving assessments; and
• Related traffic accidents that may have been caused in whole or in part by the persons medical condition

Categorically, the Medical Review Board usually identifies physical and mental conditions that warrant further evaluation and possible action. These conditions range from one's cardiovascular abilities, endocrine, cerebrovascular, musculosketal, neurological, mental or emotional, respiratory, neuromuscular, vision and sensory functions.

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