Me too. When a friend with dementia wanted to take the car out small fibs helped like she was told the insurance had run out and they were waiting for it to kick back in. One thing that is good about memory loss is they often forget what they were just talking about. Use it's a new day every other moment and keep your sense of humor.

Ha ha! You can say that again and mean it 6252!

Also taking out the battery and hiding it, then saying that it will not start. I had a friend that had to do that for her dad. She got a call one day that he was lost and stuck on the side of the road.

Just little white lies that will save from a heartache later.

Oh MAN!!!!! Tasking the battery out!!! I SOOO wish I had thought of that one when it was time to take the keys away from my dad!!!!!!! LOLOLOL!!!!

It is a very important thing. We "demand" it when we are old enough to get our license, then we "demand" it for the rest of our lives.

My MIL was using her hand to help move her foot from the gas to the brake. That was a disaster just waiting to happen. Her sons took the heat on that one and gave her the 1-2 punch of medical reasons not to drive and legal consequences if she did drive and cause an accident.

I hear that there are some states where the DMV will help families in this situation by giving them a driving test/physical and then (if they agree) rescind their license to drive.

But given that some states just have messed up procedures, I like the other methods you all have listed as a great backup.

SHEEEESH!!! Why do old ppl still want to keep driving. I wish I never had to drive again and I am only 64.

people want to keep on driving because we don't have enough public transportation in our country. My husband's mom and dad never drove, never had a car and never needed to!

Trojan I don't think it is the actual driving so much as it's a sign of independence and not being old. We all associate stopping driving with end of life.

I'll admit that we chickened out with my dad. He should have stopped driving a few months before he did but his driving was limited to within a retirement community so his ability was about average. Longer trips was by car service. Plus the alternative was my mom driving and she is literally half blind.

When dad was hospitalized the first time they decided to move to the independent living and had car service. I used the combination of dad "thinking" he could drive and the expense of having a car to arrange to take the car and golf cart away. It was a very rough few days with mom since what I was really doing was taking away her driving.

Most states will help with senior drivers who shouldn't be driving. Some actually have a system that will automatically trigger a retest if the driver has an accident. But you or a doctor can also report a dangerous driver and they will send a card saying a road test is needed. But you still need to remove the car and access to cars.

Not me. I associate driving with getting killed. I have three vehicles parked outside. SERIOUSLY wish I never had to drive again. Every time I drive anywhere ppl pull out in front of m with cell phones plastered to their ears. I WANT someone to take care of me. What is this independence shit????

My Mom said today that she is a prisoner in the house. So, in the rain and wind, and with my sinus/cold/allergies high and mighty, we went out for errands etc. Mom tells everyone how I took her car away and yadayada. I just grin and nod. Mom did say she would finally get a ticket, first ever. So, doesnt want to tarnish the record.

For Mom, she has lost independence. So have I :) There is just so much negative pressure I will accept from her. If she could, I would imagine getting to a car and taking off for spite would become a regular event. She cant get there and I keep the keys out of reach.

Good plan, the part about keeping the keys out of reach.

We just kept reasoning with my dad, reminding him how many fender benders he was having and how many times he got lost.

Eventually he just caved in and quit asking.

My mom still misses having a car almost two years later. She will say things like "it would be nice to be able to go to xxxx" or "Sally has a car so she can do things when she wants to". I don't think she wants to drive but she does want the independence.

I keep hoping she will drop it and move onto some other point of life. I better watch what is asked for huh? It may be worse than the car.

LOL
P