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The INDEPENDENT, November 6, 2003
Older drivers can be safe drivers
Bits & Bitas
By Jacqueline Ramsay
October 12th, 1:30 p.m. - I thought I was
hallucinating, but then Janice was with me,
as we were walking the dogs. At the lake, of
course. On the back side of the lake I spied
big black, ripe, juicy blackberries and lots of
half-ripe ones. I ate, Shadow ate as did Jan
ice. Penelope declined.
I’ve got a lot to think upon, as I just got
home from a Wellness Clinic for Seniors.
Seniors, look out for tips on how to be slim, trim, healthy, happy
and hopefully wiser in our old age.
What do you get in the mail that really pushes your ink button??
Mine is stuff that asks “do you know what can become of...bla bla
- it’s on page 54, or discover why coloring your hair may endan
ger the beating of your heart - page 98 - get our book right away
- learn how to take off 20 lbs. and 20 years in 20 days” - Etcetera.
In September, two Vernonia ladies went to Cheyenne,
Wyoming to take part in the National Senior Spelling Bee. Con
gratulations to them. Carol Sawyer came in 1st and Tobie Finzel
came in 3rd.
From where? You say. Vernonia, Or., that little town lost in the
woods of Columbia County.
I went to a Wellness Conference for Seniors at Seaside Octo
ber 19th through the 24th.
It was fantastic Sun, Sea, Surf and gully washers - storms and
gales - but I learned a lot about myself and much about seniors
in general. So be advised. The Senior Center may be sending out
invites to all interested seniors to a few seminars; learn how to
cope with life, others and self, even chair aerobics. Ta, ta.
At last count (in 1997) Paris, France had 80 flushing toilets for
dogs.
Holiday care packages for troops
The care package is a tradi
tional favorite morale booster
among military men and
women who serve our country
overseas. Friends and families
of service members are send
ing many care packages to the
arid Middle East. Some careful
planning will help ensure your
care package arrives safe and
sound.
If food is included, it should
be non-perishable, heat-toler
ant, and resistant to rough han
dling. Moist foods like pumpkin
bread might mold. Real choco
late chips in cookies might melt
and delicate cookies might
break. To avoid spoilage, send
dry or semi-dry foods that don’t
require refrigeration. When
moisture is low, microorgan
isms can’t grow.
Here are a number of safe
alternatives:
• Thoroughly dried beef jerky
and com m ercially dried fruit
with added preservatives.
• Powdered fruit drink mixes.
• Commercially packaged
snacks, popcorn, crackers,
cookies, ready-to-eat cereals,
granola and trail mix.
• Vacuum-packaged nuts
and individually wrapped hard
candies such as toffee.
Dense and dry baked foods,
such as biscotti, mail well and
shouldn’t mold. Oatmeal cook
ies, unfrosted brownies and
other bar cookies will arrive in
good condition if they aren’t su
per moist. Although sugar
cookies and gingersnaps aren’t
perishable, they might break.
Wrap cookies individually in
plastic wrap to protect them.
Then use unbuttered, popped
corn to cushion the cookies as
you pack them in a container
such as a coffee can or other
plastic airtight container with
lid.
Place the food gifts in a stur
dy box. Add baby wipes or
mosit towelettes for hand
washing. Seal the box securely
with packing tape. Then ad
dress to the recipient as re
quired by the military.
Last July, an elderly driver
had a terrible accident. He lost
control of his car while it was
pointed toward a “farmer’s mar
ket.” In a few seconds, ten peo
ple suffered mortal injuries and
subsequently died. Suddenly,
there were cries that “Old peo
ple shouldn’t be on the road,”
and “They’re just too danger
ous!”
But older drivers are neither
a menace nor experienced
saints-on-wheels. As a group,
they have fewer accidents than
teenagers, who lack experi
ence and, sometimes, good
judgement. But, according to a
report from the American Med
ical Association (AMA), elder
drivers die at an alarmingly
high rate in motor vehicle acci
dents. As a group, elder drivers
are frailer than the general pop
ulation, so an accident that a
younger person might walk
away from, could result in seri
ous or fatal injuries to a senior
driver. Drivers aged 75 or older
have, on average, twice the
number of accidents than the
average driver.
The AMA considers motor
vehicle injuries as a “public
health” problem and looks at
each category of driver individ
ually. In conjunction with that
point of view, they released a
200+ page “Physician’s Guide
to Assessing and Counseling
Older Drivers,” which was pro
duced in association with the
U.S. Department of Transporta
tion. The guide offers ways
physicians can help their pa
tients decide about whether to
drive, and, if so, under what cir
cumstances they can still be
safe drivers.
Excessive crash rates for
older drivers are attributed to
the decline of three things: vi
sion, cognition, and motor func
tion. As people age, it is normal
to experience problems from
glare, impaired sensitivity to
contrast, and an increase in the
time needed for eyes to adjust
from bright to dim lighting con
ditions. Because driving is a
complex activity, it requires a
variety of high-level cognitive
skills, including memory, visual
processing, attention, and ex
ecutive skills. Some medical
conditions and some medica
tions that are common in the
older population have a large
impact on cognition. Muscle
strength, joint flexibility and a
sense of motion and position all
can change as people age.
When people experience
any of these changes, it does
n’t necessarily mean that they
should quit driving. Most driv
ers “self-regulate,” stop driving
on fast roads, or limit where
they go, and the time of day
they drive.
In a “focus group” conducted
by the AMA, one panelist said,
“When the doctor says you
can’t drive anymore, that’s def
inite. But when you decide for
yourself, there might be ques
tions.”
The AMA doesn’t want doc
tors to just shut the door on pa
tients driving. They want physi
cians to play a more active role
in preventing motor vehicle
crashes by assessing patients’
medical fitness to drive and by
recommending safe driving be
haviors, driver rehabilitation, or
driving limitations as needed.
“In many cases,” the AMA says,
“physicians can help patients
stay on the road longer by iden
tifying and managing medical
obstacles to safe driving, such
as vision problems or arthritis.”
Am I a Safe Driver?
A tool to help you reflect on your driving skills from the Ameri
can Medical Association. Check the box if the statement ap
plies to you.
□ I get lost while driving.
□ My friends and family members say they are worried about
my driving.
□ Other cars seem to appear out of nowhere.
□ I have trouble seeing signs in time to respond to them.
□ Other drivers drive too fast.
□ Other drivers often honk at me.
□ Driving stresses me out.
□ After driving, I feel tired.
□ I have had more "near misses" lately.
□ Busy intersections bother me.
□ Left-hand turns make me nervous.
□ The glare from oncoming headlights bothers me.
□ My medication makes me dizzy or drowsy.
□ I have trouble turning the steering wheel.
□ I have trouble pushing down on the gas pedal or brakes.
□ I have trouble looking over my shoulder when I back up.
□ I have been stopped by the police for my driving recently.
□ People will no longer accept rides from me.
□ I don’t like to drive at night.
□ I have more trouble parking lately.
If you have checked any of the boxes, your safety may be at
risk when you drive. Talk to your doctor about ways to improve
your safety when you drive.
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