Most people don't think of the potential hazards of elderly drivers, but they can put themselves and others in danger. Many health and safety experts say that accidents involving elderly drivers happen because they dont want to give up their independence. So it is up to their adult children to recognize the signs and talk to their parents about turning over their car keys. Here are some tell tale signs that it is time to stop driving.
Getting Lost. Everyone gets lost from time to time, but if this happens in familiar surroundings it may signal mental confusion.
Ignoring Traffic Signals. Failure to notice or obey stop signs, traffic lights or other highway signs, may mean that your loved one did not notice them or didn't correctly interpret the meaning of them. Visual impairment or mental processing may be the cause.
Lack of judgement. Driving requires quick judgement. Whether, judging the speed of oncoming traffic, knowing when to pass a slower car safely, stopping at a stop sign, slow or poor judgment can greatly increase the risk of an accident.
Driving too fast or too slow. Erratic driving at inappropriate speeds can mean a lack of concentration, poor physical coordination, and a lack of judgement.
If you conclude that your loved one is putting themselves and others in danger on the road, then it is time to talk with them. A gentle approach focusing on functional ability rather than age or health is recommended.
Other Resources.
National Highway Traffice Safety Administrationwww.nhtsa.dot.gov
American Association of Retired Citizens
www.aarp.org/families/driver_safety
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
www.seniordrivers.org
The Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialist
www.driver-ed.org
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Health Care Costs May Threaten Retirement:
NU Online News Service, Feb . 20, 2008, 1:00 p.m. EST
The rising cost of health care will cause a striking increase in the number of working Americans who probably won’ t be prepared financially to retire, according to recent findings by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.
CRR’s National Retirement Risk Index projects that 61% of workers today will be at risk of being financially unprepared to retire. That is a 17% increase from July 2007, when the Index number was 44%.
The findings offer a reason to be concerned but not to lose hope, suggests Paul Ballew, senior vice president of customer insights and analytics for Nationwide Financial Services Inc., Columbus, Ohio, which sponsored the Boston College study.
For one thing, Ballew said, most Americans need to change their savings and spending habits. “The personal savings rate in the U.S. today is essentially zero,” he said.
The Index means that 61% of households are not on track to maintain their preretirement, non-health-care level of consumption in retirement.
“The Index also shows that risk will rise for younger workers and low-income households,” says Alicia H. Munnell, CRR director. “The number could be considerably higher once long term care costs are taken into account, and if households do not plan rationally.”
Back to Breaking News
The rising cost of health care will cause a striking increase in the number of working Americans who probably won’ t be prepared financially to retire, according to recent findings by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.
CRR’s National Retirement Risk Index projects that 61% of workers today will be at risk of being financially unprepared to retire. That is a 17% increase from July 2007, when the Index number was 44%.
The findings offer a reason to be concerned but not to lose hope, suggests Paul Ballew, senior vice president of customer insights and analytics for Nationwide Financial Services Inc., Columbus, Ohio, which sponsored the Boston College study.
For one thing, Ballew said, most Americans need to change their savings and spending habits. “The personal savings rate in the U.S. today is essentially zero,” he said.
The Index means that 61% of households are not on track to maintain their preretirement, non-health-care level of consumption in retirement.
“The Index also shows that risk will rise for younger workers and low-income households,” says Alicia H. Munnell, CRR director. “The number could be considerably higher once long term care costs are taken into account, and if households do not plan rationally.”
Back to Breaking News
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