Dementia – Why Should OTPs Take Away the Keys?
Helen Houston, MS, OTR/L; Courtney Stallings, OTR/L
Gerontology & Aging | Audience Level: Intermediate
Driving is the highest-risk instrumental activity of daily living (IADL), yet families of clients with dementia are often reluctant to take away the keys for fear of taking away their independence. Drivers with dementia are 2.5 to 4.7 times more likely than healthy older adults to be involved in vehicle crashes, and face increased risk of getting lost or causing harm to themselves and others. As activity analysis experts, occupational therapy practitioners are well positioned to identify functional impairments during IADL tasks; this session presents a framework that assimilates assessment results to determine driving risk. Attendees will learn how to use this research-based approach to help families navigate the difficult decision of driving retirement, reducing the emotional burden of that transition.