Urgent action on dementia and driving

Improvement in access to information and education on dementia and driving is urgently needed for better road safety for all, according to a new discussion paper released today.

The paper, released by Alzheimer’s Australia Victoria called on this information to be more readily available to consumers and medical professionals.

The paper also called for the development of dementia friendly mobility and social inclusion programs; more research and investigation into the driving and mobility experiences of people without family support; and to ensure that driver testing by occupational therapists is equitable and consistent in cost, method and accessibility.

Alzheimer’s Australia Victoria released the paper after surveying 139 family carers and friends of people with dementia, and 19 people with dementia.

Maree McCabe, Alzheimer’s Australia Victoria chief executive, said with the increasing prevalence of dementia in our community there will be a growing number of drivers who will experience impaired driving ability.

“This discussion paper reflects the concerns and issues relating to driving faced by people living with dementia, their families and carers.

“Although there is evidence that dementia increases crash risk, it is also internationally accepted that not all people with dementia experience a decrease in their driving skills, particularly in the early stages of the condition.

“Restricting a person’s mobility is challenging at any stage. For families and carers, having to question a loved one’s ability can be a stressful experience,” Ms McCabe said.

“While achieving a balance to ensure the safety of all on the roads is paramount, maintaining a person’s ability to drive, their self esteem, their level of confidence and ability to remain socially engaged with the world is essential to the overall wellbeing of the person with dementia,” she added.

The ability to drive safely relies on memory, attention, decision-making, planning, reactions, vision and other sensory processing and these will be affected to various degrees.

“Each person’s experience of dementia is different. Our consumers report that memory loss and cognitive decline may result in disorientation on familiar routes; poor judgement and slowed reaction times; loss of attention and difficulty processing multiple stimuli.

“The policy recommendations in this paper are presented consistent with supporting people living with dementia, in balance with the promotion of safety,” Ms McCabe said.

In response to our consumers’ feedback and with the assistance of the RACV Community Partnership Project, Alzheimer’s Australia Victoria will focus on the development of key resources on dementia and driving and deliver programs over two years in every Victorian region. 

The paper Dementia and Driving in Victoria Discussion Paper will be officially released at the Alzheimer’s Australia Vic Parliamentary Friends of Dementia meeting today at Parliament House.

Download the Dementia and Driving in Victoria Discussion Paper.