i see the sign on the freeway frequently called silver alert
it has a license plate and car description about a missing person
sometimes it doesnt end well
ive heard stories and known cases of elderly usually demented folks driving and just keep on driving until they run out of gas
some are found like the case below off a cliff or in a river or in a wreck
hopefully they wont turn out that way
my mothers car got disabled so it wouldnt start
thats how she accepted not driving
she had a dangerous intersection near her house she had to turn onto the highway
i was glad when she no longer drove her car
we had an elderly neighbor once who was pulling out of his farm onto a busy highway
he was killed instantly
i dont want to be one of those persons who has that happen to them
or
get lost somewhere
or
worst hit some family with my car
i have already started become more defensive
driving slower
watching closely for pedestrians and bicyclist
avoiding bad intersections
like i wrote 9 years ago when my time to quit driving happens i want to quit driving without any argument
here is a link to the alzheimers association websites section on dementia and driving
if you are worried about yourself or a loved one take time to read this dementia and driving section
__________
11-29-2011
LOST LADY
at a town near here a lady who lives in an assisted living home
got into her car and drove off and didnt come back
friends and family notified the police and
she got her car information put on those big highway signs on the
interstate
usually those are child abductions, lost children, or a lost old person
luckily she was found not too far away driving lost on a road near the
town where she lives
sometimes it doesnt work out this well
a few years ago a couple near here got into their car and just
disappeared
they were an elderly couple
they were found 500+ miles away off a cliff in the hills of arkansas
where they had missed a curve on that winding road and had
gone over the cliff
they were accidentally found by a hunter/hiker
a family had lost both parents and grandparents because they
were lost and kept on driving
on the alzheimers association website-www.alz.org-there is a
section on dementia and driving resource center at this link
if you have a family member who is at risk read this link
you may save their lives
dont be afraid of offending them
my wife she and i have an agreement that when my time comes that
she will take my keys away from me
i am sure i wont resist
dont let them be the lost lady or lost man and get their names and
car license numbers on those signs on the internet
i am glad not being able to parallel park is not on the list of warning signs
__________
since i wrote that blog there have been a lot of news stories about these silver alerts that didnt end up with a happy ending
dont let your loved one be one of them
the organicgreen doctor
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