Tips on Talking to your Elderly Parent About Driving
- Be sure that from the beginning you make it clear you have the person’s best interests at heart by being compassionate and preventing this conversation from becoming a battle.
- Use “reflective listening” to support your loved one by rephrasing their own concerns to encourage thinking about how obstacles can be overcome. For example, you might say “I know it will be harder to get to your weekly lunches with friends in town. Let’s figure out how we can make sure you don’t miss out on these.”
- Allow plenty of time for this conversation and allow your loved one to reflect on memories they have about driving such as how they bought their first car or road trips they took with family. To show your support, ask to see pictures or hear more about these memories.
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