How can I tell my husband (67) who is in early stage dementia that he cannot drive anymore?

Our area here in suburban Chicago has a state-run program that could give your hubby a driving test and rate his abilities. Unlike others here, I wouldn't give him the benefit of the doubt. I'd have him evaluated. See if your area has a program like this.

Too big a chance to take. You want to make sure he's capable. If he has a serious accident, even with insurance, you could find yourself losing your house.

Maybe it is a little scratch, no big deal, but I would take a very close look at his driving abilities. Have you been in the car with him lately? How did he do? Are there lots of scratches and dings on the car? Are quick trips to the store taking too long?

This can be a huge deal when you have to take the keys. Most folks don't godown without a fight. Assess this carefully before manning the battle stations.

I too, have misjudged ditches, especially when they are adjacent to driveways. What most people on this site have done in order to avoid confrontation with their loved one and taking away the keys is to ask the doctor to write a letter to motor vehicle telling them this person should not be driving.

We were all fortunate with my Mom. She started getting lost trying to get home, where she had lived for fifty years, and made her own decision to quit driving. But most, are not that easy.

If you feel that scraping the mailbox is a sign of your husband's dementia then you might need to have a talk with your husband about not driving anymore.

If he is symptomatic he shouldn't be driving. But if the only incident is his hitting the mailbox, like Freqflyer said, it might have just been an accident.

You know him best. You will notice any little change in him. If you see changes in him as a result of the dementia he probably shouldn't be on the road.

Tarajane, anyone of any age and of clear mind could have done that. Driveways that have ditches on either side aren't all that easy to judge. Even I accidentally backed into a ditch when I misjudged the curve in a friend's driveway.

There would need to be something more happening to take away the keys.