Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Feb;38(2):e5874.
doi: 10.1002/gps.5874.

Driving following a diagnosis of dementia: Exploring the views and experiences of people with dementia-A UK survey

Victoria Gouldsborough  1 , Fergus Fairmichael  2 , Christopher Davison  3 , Victoria Hetherington  2 , Robert Barber  2
Affiliations

Driving following a diagnosis of dementia: Exploring the views and experiences of people with dementia-A UK survey

Victoria Gouldsborough et al. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2023 Feb.

Abstract

Background: Driving cessation can be one of the adjustments made following a diagnosis of dementia. Little is known about the views and opinions of people living with dementia about this. The study aimed to gather a broad idea of the expectations, impacts and the process of driving cessation from the perspective of those living with dementia.

Methods: 138 people with dementia and 91 relatives/friends (on behalf of an individual with dementia) took part in an online questionnaire.

Results: People living with dementia reported stopping driving following diagnosis can have negative psychological impacts particularly in relation to; feelings of isolation, depression, loss of freedom and feeling life isn't worth living. Age, gender and choice in the driving cessation process were related to the degree of negative experiences.

Conclusions: The difficulties reported by people with dementia suggest a need to provide more structured post diagnostic support to aid decision making of driving continuation or cessation; with the view to reducing associated distress and enabling people with dementia to continue to live a meaningful life.

Keywords: dementia; driving; driving cessation; patient experience; questionnaire.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Wittenberg R, Hu B, Barraza-Araiza L, Rehill A. Projections of Older People with Dementia and Costs of Dementia Care in the United Kingdom, 2019-2040. Care Policy and Evaluation Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science; 2019. Accessed 28 November 2022. https://www.lse.ac.uk/cpec/assets/documents/cpec-working-paper-5.pdf
    1. Holden A, Pusey H. The impact of driving cessation for people with dementia - an integrative review. Dement. 2021;20(3):1105-8. https://doi.org/10.1177/1471301220919862
    1. Chacko EE, Wright WM, Worrall RC, Adamson C, Cheung G. Reactions to driving cessation: a qualitative study of people with dementia and their families. Australas Psychiatr. 2015;23(5):496-499. https://doi.org/10.1177/1039856215591326
    1. Chee JN, Rapoport MJ, Molnar F, et al. Update on the risk of motor Vehicle collision or driving impairment with dementia: a collaborative international systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Geriatr Psychiatr. 2017;25(12):1376-1390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2017.05.007
    1. Molnar FJ, Byszewski AM, Rapoport M, Dalziel WB. Practical experience-based approaches to assessing fitness to drive. Dementia, Geriatrics Aging. 2009;12(2):83-92.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources