Baycrest

BrainMatters • Spring/Summer 2023 • 15 Dr. Mark Rapoport. Photo courtesy of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Dr. Gary Naglie "Among many other topics, the Driving and Dementia Roadmap helps users understand how dementia can impact driving; identify when it becomes unsafe for individuals living with dementia to drive; and adjust to life without driving once the decision has been made," says Dr. Gary Naglie. According to Dr. Rapoport, "some individuals with mild dementia may continue to drive safely and some may have to stop driving right away. It's important to be aware that as the disease progresses, they will inevitably have to stop driving. It can be difficult to know exactly when driving has become or will become unsafe. After receiving a dementia diagnosis, it is critical for the individual and their family to watch for changes in that person's driving and consider whether they can continue to drive safely. For people with moderate or severe dementia, driving is dangerous as the brain functions needed to react quickly and make rapid decisions for safe driving have deteriorated. By the time an individual reaches these stages, driving must stop." Resources within the Roadmap include tactical components, such as information about licensing and transportation options for individuals with dementia, guidance on having the conversation about giving up driving and tips on how to transition and plan ahead. For healthcare providers, information about one's role in the decision, as well as assessing fitness to drive are among the available resources. In a recent Globe and Mail article, Dr. Naglie advises having these discussions in a timely manner. "The key is to have discussions early and to encourage people with dementia to either voluntarily stop driving or be better prepared when the time comes, "so it isn't a sudden shock to them and they become resistant to stop driving," Dr. Naglie said. "That's the big hope." Recently, the Roadmap has been included as a dementia resource on the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Dementia Observatory Knowledge Exchange Platform. The Driving and Dementia Roadmap is available at drivinganddementia.ca and includes resources from every province and territory. Content in part courtesy of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

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