Driving with Alzheimer’s
THE EDITOR: We observed with great interest recently that the Alzheimer’s Association held an annual meeting and they were fortunate and honoured to be addressed by Mr ANR Robinson whose wife has been an Alzheimer’s patient for sometime now. Without any knowledge of the work plans of the association since these were not published, may we suggest that the Executive of the association give urgent considerations to the issue of driving with Alzheimer’s. We are aware of cases where these elderly people are driving on the nation’s roads despite the protestations and other actions taken by their loved ones. As you know, it’s extremely easy for an elderly driver to get his/her driver’s permit renewed annually. May we therefore suggest the following for consideration: 1) As soon as the doctor diagnoses the condition, it should be mandatory for him to report it to the authorities. 2) The licence could be restricted depending on future medical examinations on an annual basis. 3) The licence might be restricted further to include driving during the daytime only. 4) Depending on the annual assessment by the authorities, the licence might even be suspended or revoked altogether. We are all concerned about people who drink and drive. What about those whose minds are confused and their memories and judgement impaired forever? This is a matter of community safety and caring for our innocent brothers and sisters. We need to do something to prevent a personal disaster. Could someone in authority help, please? Finally, how does a member of the public contact the Alzheimer’s Association since its business address or telephone number are not published? PETER J GRANDERSON St James
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"Driving with Alzheimer’s"