What Can You Do if Your Elderly Loved One Insists on Driving, Even When She's Unsafe to Drive?

Senior Care in East Brunswick NJ

For some family caregivers, the question is no longer about should your elderly loved one be driving, it’s more about how to keep your loved one from trying to drive. If your loved one is determined to get back behind the wheel, this can be a tricky situation.

Disable the Car

There are plenty of ways for you to disable your loved one’s car without causing permanent damage. You might want to be subtle and remove the distributor cap or simply drain the gas tank. Some elderly loved ones need a more visual reminder, however, so you might need to do something more drastic, such as removing the wheels and propping the car on stable stands.

Move the Car to Another Location

For some elderly loved ones, being able to see the car at all can be a reminder that they want to be driving. If that’s the case for your loved one, you might need to either cover the car with a protective cover or move it to another location entirely. Out of sight can easily become out of mind and your loved one may give up on trying to convince you to allow her to drive.

Hide the Keys or Switch them Out

If you’re not able to relocate the car, another option could be to hide the keys from your elderly loved one or to switch out the keys on the key ring for ones that go to something else. This can give your loved one a sense of security that the keys and the car are there, but also restricts her from being able to operate the vehicle.

Sell the Car

In extreme situations, you may have to sell the car in order to put the argument to rest. You may not want to do this, especially if the car holds sentimental value to you or to other family members. If the car is causing significant angst for your elderly loved one, though, selling the car can be an extremely viable option.

Make sure that your loved one has plenty of other transportation options available and let her senior care providers know if she’s likely to try to sneak off in the car on her own.

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in East Brunswick, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Care Street Home Care of New Brunswick today. Call (732) 607-8870.