Driving with Dementia: How to Approach Driving with a Person Who is Living with Dementia

By Dr Stephanie Daly, Lead Educator, Dementia Training Australia GP Group

When a dementia diagnosis takes place, there are many difficult conversations to navigate, often loaded with a lot of emotion. One of the hardest is discussing driving, as for many, it is deemed essential for independence and mobility.

Losing the capacity to drive can severely affect a person’s mental health, independence and quality of life, limiting transport options and social activities. However, dementia can impact the factors necessary for safe driving, limiting one’s spatial awareness, memory, orientation and executive functioning.

So, how do you know when it is time to have this conversation? It’s crucial to address the topic soon after a diagnosis, as if basic daily functions are impaired, it’s likely that driving safety may also be compromised.

A diagnosis of dementia does not mean that a person must immediately give up their driving license, but it does mean that driving will require review more frequently, as eventually driving will become unsafe.

Discussing the stoppage of driving early can help individuals better cope with the eventual loss of driving privileges and find alternate transport options. Approaching the discussions with sensitivity from the beginning can help people understand why and when they must stop driving.

A person living with dementia may forget familiar routes, fail to respond to stop signs and traffic lights, misjudge the distance between cars or have a slower reaction time.

A GP is often a great person to speak to about driving cessation. As a medical professional who often assesses driving, the GP can have a balanced conversation about the risks of driving with dementia. They can also begin to build a strong relationship and level of trust, which can be important as ceasing driving can come with significant impacts. With risks of decreased confidence, depression or financial hardship, it’s important to continue monitoring a person’s wellbeing even after they have stopped driving.

For more information on how dementia directly impacts the ability to drive and advice on how to navigate these tough discussions, you can subscribe to The Australian Journal of Dementia Care.