I attended a great presentation by Dr. Mark Ensberg at the Geriatric Education Center of Michigan. He’s a physician and the presentation discussed how the AMA directs/guides physicians on how to assess older drivers’ physical and mental capacity to drive, how to have the difficult conversation of advising/prescribing them not to drive, and how to report older drivers who are dangerous drivers.
The website includes an array of good information on what to expect (presuming your member/resident’s PCP is up to date) on support you can get from suggesting a member talk with their physician about their driving concerns.
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/public-health/promoting-healthy-lifestyles/geriatric-health/older-driver-safety/assessing-counseling-older-drivers.page
I’m also attaching the chapter for physicians that specifically addresses how to hold that challenging conversation with their patient about driving cessation. It includes scenarios with dialogue, resources, and pitfalls. Even though you are not physicians and will not be prescribing driving cessation, some of the conversations give the same background context a SC could give.
Finally, I’m attaching the AMA’s handouts for older drivers and their families. There are some outstanding checklists for helping older adults self assess their driving as well as tips for families/caregivers.
