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P2‐253: Drivers with dementia: Attitudes and beliefs of older adults, driving examiners and law enforcement officers
Author(s) -
Rottunda Susan J.,
Adler Geri
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2008.05.1329
Subject(s) - dementia , disease , vignette , competence (human resources) , officer , exploratory research , medicine , law enforcement , psychology , gerontology , social psychology , law , pathology , sociology , anthropology , political science
Background: Heightened awareness and concern about the driving competence and safety of drivers with Alzheimer’s disease has resulted in discussions about mandatory driving assessments at the time of diagnosis and periodically thereafter. The purpose of this exploratory, qualitative study was to examine the attitudes, beliefs, and preferences of healthy older adults, driving examiners and law enforcement officers with regard to retesting drivers with Alzheimer’s disease as well as those with Parkinson’s disease and adults at varying ages. Methods: Participants were presented with four vignettes depicting a driver with Alzheimer’s disease, a driver with Parkinson’s disease, a healthy driver at age 70, and a healthy driver at age 90. They were asked why the driver in each vignette should or should not have their driving skills reevaluated at the time of driver’s license renewal. Interviews were conducted with 52 healthy older adults, 20 driving examiners, and 19 law enforcement officers. Responses were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize demographic information collected from the subjects. Results: Results of this study showed strong support across all groups for retesting older drivers with Alzheimer’s disease. A variety of reasons were given for favoring testing. A police officer recalled locating a driver with Alzheimer’s disease who “had been missing for five days,” noting that if the driver “had been tested, maybe he would not have been on the road.” An older adult stated, “if anyone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at any age . . . they should be fully tested to make sure that everything is okay.” Participants were less confident that age alone, in the absence of functional impairments, was a good predictor of driving ability, and therefore less likely to support routinely retesting older drivers. Although all groups were supportive of reexamining the skills of drivers with Alzheimer’s disease, concerns were raised regarding the costs of retesting, discrimination, and the lack of transportation alternatives. There was slightly less support across the three groups for retesting drivers with Parkinson’s disease. Conclusions: Findings from this study have implications for state and national policy regarding retesting of drivers with Alzheimer’s disease.