Safety for Older Drivers

Older Driver Safety Awareness Week is the first week of December! As your loved one ages, they may experience some changes that affect their ability to drive safely and confidently. At the same time, driving is also a key form of independence and often is integral in one’s day-to-day life, so it’s important to weigh safety and autonomy carefully as you think about discussing driving with your loved one. Here are some tips to help you know what to look out for and ideas on how to bring up driving concerns with your aging loved one.

Signs to watch for:

• Your loved one is having difficulty with their vision, which may make it difficult to see lane lines and pedestrians, particularly at night. 
• You notice your loved one has slower reaction times or gets confused easily while driving.
• Your loved one has had several “near misses” recently while driving and you’re worried about an accident occurring.

How to talk to your loved one about driving safety:

• Have conversations about driving safety early and often, so that everyone is prepared if there comes a time when your loved one needs to limit their driving.
• Consider a driving evaluation done by an Occupational Therapist or a Certified Driver Rehab Specialist. These evaluations include a clinical exam and a road test or simulation and can provide specific feedback on your loved ones driving. Driving evaluations can help older adults modify their driving habits to be safer, explore healthy boundaries around their driving such as not driving at night, or communicate if it may be time to stop driving.
• Recognize that driving may be a sign of independence and control for your loved one, so a suggestion to stop driving may elicit some strong emotions. Approach the conversation with calm and compassion.
• Base conversations on patterns of behavior over time. Share specific observations of unsafe driving with your loved one so they can understand why you are concerned.  Avoid using a judgmental or critical tone of voice.
• Help your loved one find alternative transportation to the activities important to them. Consider public transit options or rides from family and friends.

Fraud Alert: Scam Calls Targeting Older Adults

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) has issued a fraud alert regarding an increase in scam calls targeting older adults. The alert highlights that scammers may pose as organizations like "Eldercare," "Eldercare Locator," "Social Security," or "Medicare" and may request personal information or payment while threatening jail time or fines. The ACL advises individuals to be cautious, hang up on suspicious calls, verify an organization's contact information independently, and avoid sharing personal information or making payments to unknown callers.

 ACL also shared the following reminders:

•  The government will never call out of the blue and ask for a Social Security number.
• The government will never ask for payment by gift card or wire transfer.
• Social Security numbers cannot be suspended.

Older adults who are targeted by scams and fraud can call the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-372-8311.

In addition, scams and fraud targeting people of any age can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by calling 877-382-4357 or visiting reportfraud.ftc.gov.

FREE Nutrition Supplements

If you have NC Medicaid, you may be eligible to receive free oral nutrition supplements, like Boost or Ensure. Contact the Aging Helpline for more information at 919-968-2087.