title: Driving cessation in older men with dementia.
abstract: The process of driving cessation was studied in a group of older men with dementia. During the initial phase of the project, 53 drivers with dementia provided information about their driving history, driving habits, and expectations about driving cessation. A collateral for each patient completed a similar questionnaire providing corroborating information about the patient's driving. Collaterals were contacted 25-39 months later to gather information about patients' current driving habits. Twenty patients (46.5%) continued to drive almost 5 days per week. Twenty-three subjects (53.5%) were no longer driving at follow-up. The decision to stop driving was frequently abrupt and often made in response to a physician recommendation. Using logistic regression analyses, lower Mini-Mental State Examination scores (p = 0.02) and increased age (p = 0.02) at baseline were shown to be significant predictors of driving cessation. Findings indicate that an unexpected number of men with dementia continue to drive for several years after disease onset.
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Research and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417, USA. adle0009@tc.umn.edu
authors.forename: Geri
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuskowski
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001334:Automobile Driving; D003657:Decision Making; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis