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meaghan Asked July 2017

My siblings and I are struggling after taking my father's car away from him. What can we do?

My siblings and I are struggling after taking my father's car away from him. While he's been cleared after cardiac surgery, it's his cognition that's an issue. He's furious and is calling government offices and the police. He's agreed to retake the drivers test but it's a process in PA that takes time. My mom, diagnosed with Alzheimer's, lives there and has told us he'll let her drive. He's becoming impossible to deal with and at 81 years old he could live for years of more fighting and sulking. We've tried all the ideas I've seen here but I'm at my wit's end and feel terribly guilty.

blannie Jul 2017
It sounds like you're all doing exactly the right things. I don't think there's any good answers for your dad's unhappiness. Hang tough, you're protecting him and everyone else on the road. Thank you for that!

meaghan Jul 2017
Great answers, we've made appointments at University of Pennsylvania with geriatric physician who diagnosed mom's ALZ, he refuses to go. His mom &sister were diagnosed/passed of ALZ. He's had lingering mental effects from a stroke. He's 5 weeks post heart valve surgery and has started rehab. My sibling is a 30 yr RN, specializing in geriatric/hospice care and has used knowledge -testing in the field to review his behavior. She believes it's vascular dementia. I've been in the car when he's blown thru stop signs, red lights and hit a shopping corral, not to mention different color paint (red) on the car he insists was a tree? We just cant let him hurt himself, mom or others. Moms not at the stage of full caregiving but one of us is there everyday. The car has been moved 2 states away..

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Countrymouse Jul 2017
Boy, this is a thorny issue!

When you say it's your father's cognition that's the issue, is that official? Has his mental capacity been assessed and found wanting?

Because if not - while I sympathise hugely (and privately approve the result that he's not on the road, which may be rough on him but is at the very least harmless to the general public) - if he has capacity, his doctor has cleared him to drive, and you children have just pinched his car...

Well I'm not surprised he's livid. That's his property you've taken.

You're just going to have to brazen it out, at least until the retest. And possibly long after that, I'm afraid :/ Cultivate a spirit of cheeky defiance, you might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb.

BarbBrooklyn Jul 2017
Is he your mom's sole caregiver?

Getting old is hard, I agree, and losing the ability to jump and go on a whim must be excruciating.

What kind of cardiac surgery did he have? The end result of the anesthesia is often the uncovering of or speeding up of pre-existing cognitive decline. Based on the fact that he says he'd let mom drive, I would think that perhaps vascular dementia has set in?

Is the car on the premises? Can it be Disabled?

Is he on meds for depression, anxity and agitation?

meaghan Jul 2017
Thank you!! All 5 of us use the repetition and are united in this but he feels we're ganging up on him. We do not expect him to pass and he knows it. He was hoping to fly under the radar and not get chosen by Penndot randomly.
We have all of his transportation needs covered with friends, family and gogo grandparents. It's the independence of getting up and going whenever he wants- which he's done his whole life. I'm sympathetic and repeat that constantly. Unfortunately his behavior means a fight whenever one of us visits, he's even making lists of our past driving mistakes to review daily!

cwillie Jul 2017
Just keep repeating that it isn't up to you, that he has to wait until his licence is reissued. Do you expect he will pass the test?

Are there good options for alternate transportation?

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