HJNO Mar/Apr 2020

50 MAR / APR 2020 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS COLUMN  SENIOR HEALTH We Need to Talk: How to Navigate the Difficult Task of Taking the Keys Away ACCORDING TO THE National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration (NHTSA), 6,907 people aged 65 and older were killed in traf- fic crashes in 2018, which accounts for 19 percent of all traffic fatalities in the United States.Age is by nomeans alone an indicator that someone is unsafe to drive. However, as people age, driving can become more and more dangerous, depending on the various health problems they may be facing. Debra Godsey, R.N., Director of Health Services at Lambeth House, says there are a variety of health issues that may cause someone to be unsafe on the road. “Changes in vision and hearing loss can contribute to unsafe driv- ing habits, as can changes inmobility due to Parkinson’s and other debilitating diseases,” says Godsey. It only stands to reason that when your sight and hearing are compro- mised, a driver would not be able to react to situations they may encounter on the road as they once could. Imagine not being able to slamon the breaks quickly if another car We need to talk. Four dreaded words that no one ever wants to hear. In this case, four dreaded words to start a conversation that no child ever wants to have with an aging parent. Telling a parent or loved one that they are no longer safe to drive is a difficult, but often necessary conversation.