My mother, who is 86 years old, recently had an accident and totaled her car. She was taken to the hospital (bump on the head, bunged up knee and 2 cracked ribs)and stayed 2 nights and then was moved to a nursing home, which she checked herself out of after a week because she had to pay for her stay. (Yes, I know about the Medicare rule...) She's now back at her apartment, but mad as H E double toothpicks that she has no car. She walked with a cane/walker before the accident, now she is in even worse shape. I know she should not be driving but she's still mentally competent and insists that I take her to look at cars so she can buy one. Her doctor is no help. His comment was, "She's her own person and can do as she wishes." I'm her power of attorney for both health and everything else. I'm at my wits end!
Since she believes she is competent enough to drive...she is surely competent enough to figure out how to find and buy a car.
If you believe that she should not be driving...don't help her to do it!
He wanted another new car. BUT....when he saw the huge cost of insurance (totaled his car...he was at fault)... well, he said that he would just give up having a car if the insurance company was going to be that unreasonable.
A major car accident for an elderly person .... she could find her cannot even get insurance
Was this accident her fault? Has she had other dings and bumps? If she is still competent you must have some evidence to build a case to stop her driving.
I'm heading down this road with my dad. He shouldn't be driving but there is not one scratch on the car, no wrecks or no getting lost.I tried tricking him into thinking the car was broken down but he's still too savy and I had to give that plan up. Like your mom he would have found a way to get a new car if I had taken his away and there was no way I could have stopped it.
Keep in mind, when elder driving ends the caregiver will have to find a way to provide transportation. Either you drive them everywhere (like 10 doc appointments per month) use public transport or hire a home care service at around $20 per hour.
We,, she got excited about the new van until she learned that her seat was on the rear passenger side. She cried out "how am I supposed to drive from back here?"
When my Dad had bought his Olds sedan 15 years ago it was around $19k. In his final year this year, while living in Assisted Living, he wanted to go buy a new car. An Olds. Sorry, Dad, General Motors doesn't make that vehicle anymore. Then he said ok a Pontiac. Nope, sorry, Dad, no more Pontiac, either. Told him he could buy a brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee for $40k. Well, that put the brakes on the decision. He wasn't going to pay that much.... he could get a lot of cab rides for that amount.
Home care service person would also charge a fee for the use of their car to take the person where they wanted/needed to go, plus mileage.