Losing the ability to drive means losing independence. Having the conversation and deciding if it is time to hang-up the keys can be emotional and stressful. Here are some helpful tips from Pathways Driving Rehabilitation Services about making a difficult conversation go as smoothly as possible. Plan ahead Each situation is unique, but empathy can go a long [...]
Each case is different "If you've met one person with Alzheimer's, then you've met one person with Alzheimer's." In the Memory Loss Tapes, an HBO documentary produced outlining the struggles of driving while living with Alzheimer's Disease, seven people are profiled showing how each driver's circumstances and abilities vary widely even when living with the [...]
Drive with confidence! Please share these with your clients and family members and staff. It really helps us to make the connection between some of the changes we are seeing with clients and potential for how those changes may be impacting their safety with driving. Click here for more warning signs to look for in [...]
Adapting with Age In the coming years, older drivers will be on the roads, driving more miles per year, and at older ages than previous generations. For these drivers maintaining safe driving skills for as long as possible requires them to: Learn about new traffic laws and rules of the road Maintain proper following distance [...]
Changes can be subtle OT's are keen observers and are trained to notice changes. This week I have sent you a helpful tool to help you learn more about naturally occurring changes. When a client has significant changes, they may benefit from a driving evaluation. Drive with confidence! It may not be time to retire [...]
THANK YOU! This is a little token of my appreciation for all of the referrals since Pathways Driving Rehab started serving clients! I am celebrating 3.5 years of business, including servicing over 210 people! In 2016, Pathways Driving Rehabilitation Services has helped 122 people with a variety of medical conditions return to driving, learn to [...]
I'd like share some of the common resources I use. I hope you will share them with your co-workers, clients and family members. Driving is a difficult subject for healthcare professionals, family members and community members. Or, should I say, the possibility of not driving. I have learned a lot since working with seniors [...]
I have been an Occupational Therapist since 1997. My first job was at River Ridge, a brain injury center, in Kennebunk, Maine. This is where my love for the brain developed. Did you know that our brains control everything that we physically do, smell, see, hear, say, think, perceive the world and help us experience [...]
I was curious to learn more about teaching teenagers with special needs how to drive. I learned about Derek Volk from a client, then I attended one of Derek's talks at the Topsham Public Library on January 21, 2016. He has been touring the country promoting his book. I had a chance to speak with him [...]
Last week I wrote about signs that it's time to reevaluate driving . This week I am giving tools to communicate in a caring and honest way. Here are some of my recommendations: 1. If there is a medical condition causing the problems, place the focus on the condition. It makes it less personal. It [...]
