Had to take my Father (80) to Drivers Ed Today!!!

Normark

Normark

Joined
Nov 7, 1999
Messages
6,651
Hey Guys....

Well my dad turned 80 and has to take a Seniors Re-education class, and may have to take a road test as well...

I told him he has to take Drivers Ed.... Grumble Grumble Grumble!

I hooked him up with Young Drivers of Canada..

Young Drivers... Grumble Grumble Grumble! F-ing G-ment, Been driving for 65 F-ing years... Grumble Grumble Grumble..

So,, we went on a Evaluation drive today..

Other than a few lane changing mistakes (checking blind spot) and driving in the Bicycle lane for a short while he did pretty good...

He needs a couple of more lessons,, and some practice with me,, and he should be good to go..

My idea for him taking Drivers Ed was for a professional to evaluate his driving, point out what he is doing wrong, and help break him of his bad habits...

A Pre-emptive Strike and some documentation to hand in at his Driving class so the instructor has seen he has had some professional driving lessons and is taking this completely seriously.

So has anyone elses parents had to take a Drivers Re-education class and how did it turn out ??

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
Hi Eric,

What a great thing to do with your dad! I just moved my mother to my city and she now has a great little apartment in a rent-controlled senior's home downtown.

Before getting her digs she moved in with me a few weeks. She has her license, but she was a really poor driver even when I was a teenager. She wanted to be able to drive our car while we were out. Our car is a stick shift and although she used to have one about 10 years ago she was really out of practice. We bunny hopped for a while around an empty parking lot until I smelled the clutch smoke in the air. Then I just started giving her a little card with a $20 bill that said - 'use in case of taxi'

Now my son is 16 and learning the stick and my daughter learned on the same care two years ago. We have an automatic truck - but the truck is my territory and I'm territorial about it with the family. More bunny hops and I'm hoping the clutch will last out the last of the clutch training.
 
Normark said:
Other than a few lane changing mistakes (checking blind spot) and driving in the Bicycle lane for a short while he did pretty good...
Click to expand...

AARP disagrees, but I think driving tests for people over 80 should be mandatory -- EVERY 2 YEARS!!!

Elderly people behind the wheel terrify me when I see 'em in my rearview. Half of 'em look nearly dead, all bleary eyed and slackjawed, slumped over the wheel and weaving back and forth. Frequently their cars have crushed bumpers from past accidents.

I remember this one old guy who quite obviously had Alzheimers. The entire trunk of his car was compressed from backing into a utility pole at 20+ mph, and some well-meaning fool had closed his trunk with a bungee cord rather than taking away his license and sending him to the retirement home. I was at a full service gas station when he pulled in and watched him yell incoherently at the attendant -- who called the police after he drove into one of the pump barricades. The last I saw of him he drove at least a block with 2 wheels on the sidewalk.
 
Hey Guys..

tyr..

I'd go a step further and have Everyone take a refresher course every once and awhile,, especially after so many tickets ect..

I agree with you on seniors though For Sure!!!

Gollnick..

In my dad's defense for the bicycle lane..
He didn't drive in it that far,, and don't really think he knew what it was...

He doesn't drive in the city much and out here in the sticks the only bicycle lanes we have is the gravel shoulder on the side of the road, and he doesn't drive on the shoulder,,so I'm not too terrible concerned...

kgd...

Yaa I've been going out with him a bit and just giving him a little spit and shine...

He really is a good driver,, has good reflexes still and actually been with him when he's avoided several car accidents by being on the ball...

He just needs a good sharpening is all...

Edited to add:

Just also wanted to mention that he's been accident free for 45 years and ticket free for over 20.I've been ticket free for 22 years...

That's pretty f-ing good I'd say!

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
My father is 87. In the last ten years his driving skills got progressively worse. Beyond mere loss/reduction in reflexes/sensory awareness he was to the point where he would forget he was the one driving the car and look at something "interesting" on the sidewalk (on the other side of the street and across three lanes of traffic) and the car would meander in that direction usually into oncoming cars. The last couple of times i drove with him he near killed us!
Sooner or later he would have wrecked the car, injured/killed himself or others. Sooo a randomly chosen family member voiced their concerns to the family physician who alerts DMV who sends him a notice that he must be retested. He never bothered to go through the retesting process (mostly because he didn't want to fork out 100$). And I guess he didn't want to have to do an actual TEST to drive, here back in the thirties if you owned a car and had to 2$ to pay for the paperwork basically that was it, no actual driving test!
 
Hey Guys..

In Canada everyone at the age of 80 must take a re-education class and possible road test...

I think it is every two years after that that they are retested...

After my mom died, we sold our house and moved in with my dad. One of the promises I made to him is that I would take care of him. One of my obligations to him is that I keep him safe. I keep a very close eye on his health and mental state, and will go with him to Dr. appointments and anything like that.

If it comes down to him being a danger on the road, I will make the call myself and take his keys !
I don't take much crap from him and he knows it,, so he pretty much runs the straight and narrow.. :)

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
Hey Normark sounds like you are taking good care of your dad, nice job!

However I'm in Canada too (Atlantic Canada) and that testing over 80 rule is not universal cross the country. And in some places the "testing" just means the family doc has to sign a note attesting to your reflexes/mental acuity. Considering how quickly ones health can deteriorate when you are in your 80's i think mandatory retesting (vision/reflexes and an actual driving test) should be done at least every 2 years.
 
Its hard watching your parents get old. I am in the same situation. My parents both in their 70s and are confident that they can do everything as well as they did when they were younger. That was until about three weeks ago when my mother all of the sudden took a spill in the garage and now her left arm no longer works. She is in extreme pain and the Dr.s have no idea why her arm is not working.

of course you cannot get the straight story out of my mother. When ever I call she says she is doing fine..but I can hear the pain in her voice and the exhaustion because she cannot sleep. My Dad up till now has been patient with this whole process but he will not like it if they are not able to travel this winter.

I missed the Wolverine knife show because I went up to their house on the lake and helped my mom and dad get the docks in and the boat launched etc. but I am worried...

anyway..Eric..I know what its like watching your parents get old.

Ren
 
i know it can be painful watching parents get older and less independent.
try to enjoy what time you can have with them.
for when they are gone, they are really gone.
those talks and visits gone.

my last parent passed two years ago, the other about 15 years before that.
i still at times can't believe they are gone.
 
Ren the devils trailboss said:
Its hard watching your parents get old. I am in the same situation. My parents both in their 70s and are confident that they can do everything as well as they did when they were younger. That was until about three weeks ago when my mother all of the sudden took a spill in the garage and now her left arm no longer works. She is in extreme pain and the Dr.s have no idea why her arm is not working.
Click to expand...

If the X-rays show no break, and the doctors see no obvious dislocation, it may be cracked cartilidge or some partially torn soft tissue in the rotator cuff muscles. Both are very painful, will compromise mobility, and are slow to heal -- especially in the elderly -- but it should eventually heal (could take months, though).

Glucosamine, flax oil, and a good quality multivitamin will speed the recovery process some.
 
Hey Guys..

Ren...

Not only what Tyr said,, but I'd get her into Rehab ASAP

Rehab is key to recovery of injury like this..

Hope she is doing well my friend!

BTW..

Anytime you need some help up at the lake, let me know I'll bring a rake and a fishing rod :)


ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
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