Driving and Your Loved One’s Hearing

Home Care in Vienna VA

Your loved one’s hearing, or lack thereof, can make a tremendous difference in whether she’s able to safely drive on her own anymore. If you’re concerned about your loved one’s hearing in relation to her ability to drive, try some of these suggestions.

Talk to Your Loved One’s Doctor about Hearing Tests

Having your loved one’s hearing checked regularly can be a great way to keep on top of how any hearing loss is progressing. Depending on the severity, having her hearing checked every one to two years may be recommended. Talk to her doctor about what you can do for your loved one’s hearing loss. Assistive devices such as hearing aids may or may not be the best option for your loved one’s specific type of hearing loss.

Talk to Your Loved One about Keeping the Inside of the Car Quiet

If your elderly loved one enjoys listening to the radio or to other items, such as audiobooks, while she’s driving, that may not be the best time for her to do those things. If your loved one can do her part to keep the interior of the car a little quieter, she may be able to hear exterior sounds much more clearly, which can help her to be a safer driver.

Consider Vehicle Modifications

You may also be able to make modifications to your loved one’s vehicle that can enable her to react more quickly to sounds around her vehicle. Siren alarms, for example, can pick up the sounds of a siren and light up an indicator light within your loved one’s car to alert her to look for the vehicle with the siren. There are a host of other modifications that your loved one might consider, too, that can all connect to warning lights.

Talk to Your Loved One about Her Own Comfort Level with Driving

Your elderly loved one may be less comfortable with her driving safety than she’s letting on to you. You might want to sit down with her and have a frank discussion about how comfortable she really is behind the wheel, particularly on her own. Her answers may be surprising and can help you to determine a course of action that is best for her.

Offer your loved one other transportation options, such as lining up rides with other family members or more comprehensive help from home care providers.

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Vienna, VA, call the caring staff at Medical Professionals On Call today. 703-273-8818

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Michelle DeFilippis

I graduated with a BS degree and had been selling medical equipment to hospitals, clinics and technicians. More recently, a family member was diagnosed with dementia and we, as a family, realized we were not prepared t care for her. We were thrown into that whirlpool of hospital stays, 24/7 live-in care, skilled care, caring for mom ourselves and finally, now daily home care. This was such a stressful time that I started thinking there had to be other people, other families as overwhelmed and unprepared as we were.

Medical Professionals On Call has such a caring, professional staff who are available to step in with whatever level of care necessary for loved ones and to relieve you of that stress.

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