What You Need to Know about Driving and Seniors

Activities for Seniors  |  July 19, 2021

What Every Senior in Vancouver, BC Needs to Know About Driving a Vehicle Safely in Their Golden Years

Driving and Seniors | Our caregivers share tips on how to keep on driving in senior years as well as how to increase independence when operating a car is no longer an option.

With age, our ability to perform many routine tasks becomes more and more difficult – including driving a car. With the development of health, vision, and mobility problems, it can at some point become impossible to safely drive.

But until that point comes, there are some things seniors can do to continue driving without putting themselves or others at risk. For example, seniors can take refresher driving courses, like DriveLab, which is a program that evaluates driving skills.

There is also Drivewise, which provides seminars throughout Canada to help seniors learn driving strategies that minimize the risk of collision and other accidents on the road.

What You Need to Know about Driving and Seniors

Choosing a Senior-Friendly Car: To stay as safe as possible while driving, seniors should consider getting a senior-friendly car or making changes to their existing car to better fit their needs. Here are the features senior-friendly cars have:

• Adjustable pedals
• Power-operated seats
• Four doors
• Large or wide-angle mirrors
• Brake assists
• Lumbar support
• Adjustable seatbelts
• Keyless entry and start

When Seniors Should Put Away the Car Keys: Unfortunately, even after taking refresher driving courses or getting a senior-friendly car, there may come a time when your loved one will need to retire from driving a car, to prevent jeopardizing themselves and others.

But the good news is that your loved one may still be able to drive around town, avoiding night driving and driving on highways. That said, if you have noticed that your loved one is no longer safe behind the steering wheel, it is important to be straightforward and start the conversation as soon as possible.

While your loved one may feel that this is the end of their independent life, this does not have to be the case, as many alternatives can give them even more freedom in their daily life.

When you are unable to drive your loved one around Vancouver, our trained, experienced, and loving caregivers can step in and offer incidental transportation to any place in town. With our support, your loved one can continue to visit family and friends, go shopping, attend appointments and social events, and even go on day trips out of town.

Comfort Keepers® is the Best Senior Home Care Provider in Vancouver, BC

When it comes to arranging senior home care services for a loved one in or around Vancouver, Comfort Keepers is the preferred choice for many families. If you are concerned about the health and well-being of your aging loved ones we can help with Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care, End of Life Care, Respite Care, and much more! 

Comfort Keepers® Vancouver Can Help with Interactive Caregiving™

Comfort Keepers®’s trained caregivers help provide senior clients with the highest quality of life possible to keep them happy and healthy at home. Our Interactive Caregiving™ provides a system of care that addresses safety, nutrition, mind, body, and activities of daily living (ADLs).

Our philosophy is to elevate the human spirit and our caregivers will be there every step of the way to ensure your loved one has a better quality of life. Personal and empathetic care is care that starts in the heart, and it allows us to meet our client’s exact needs. Learn more about our unique service which offers personal care, companionship care, palliative care, and end-of-life care by contacting the Comfort Keepers Vancouver office.

Comfort Keepers® Brings You The Best Home Care Assistance Right Where You Live.

Comfort Keepers® Vancouver is proud to provide home care throughout Vancouver that keeps seniors safe in their homes. We provide home care for the seniors of Vancouver and the surrounding areas of Burnaby, Langley, Maple Ridge, and Richmond please call (604) 689-8609. 

Comfort Keepers® Vancouver has been accredited with Exemplary Standing with Accreditation Canada. Accreditation is an intensive process in which industry experts examine an organization’s processes, policies, and procedures against a set of quality standards. To achieve accredited status, Comfort Keepers offices met or exceeded the rigorous standards for Home Care companies, as defined by Accreditation Canada. 

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