Help! Mom Can't Drive On Her New Med. What Do You Do?
August 25, 2020
Some medications are not safe to take when you drive. Your mom is going to start taking a medication and driving isn't recommended. What do you do?
Is It Temporary?
How often is your mom going to be taking this medication? Is it for a few weeks or permanently? If it's a few weeks, someone in the family may be able to help her get from her home to other locations.
If your mom is going to be on that medication for the long-run, you'll need to make more permanent arrangements. She might get used to the medication and start driving again, but it's important to have a family discussion about the possibility that your mom may always need help with transportation.
Make Arrangements for Rides
Gather the family and start building a calendar. Who is available to drive your mom to a store each weekend? Who can take time off to take her to her dentist's office? Can someone be there to drive her to a friend's house when she wants to go?
See if there are errands you can run for your mom on days you're already out and about. If you are going grocery shopping, call your mom and see if she's out of anything. You can get the items she needs at the same time. She'll pay you back when you drop them off.
You could also keep a cash jar in her home that people could tap into when they are running errands for her. Keep a ledger and make sure people are adding receipts to show how the money was spent. Only let those shopping for her know where this jar is stored.
Apps like Google Calendar can be very helpful. Enter your mom's appointments and social activities into the calendar. People can go through and see if they're available to help on any of the days. If they are, they can add their name to the event and handle the transportation.
What happens if no one is available? Caregivers are a great solution to that dilemma.
Elderly care services cover quite a range. Your mom can have caregivers to remind her to take her daily prescriptions. She can have help with housework and laundry. Caregivers can cook meals for her, join her for meals, or clean up her kitchen.
Caregivers also help with transportation. Caregivers can drive your mom to her medical offices. They can take her shopping, take her on a leisurely drive, and join her on excursions to museums, parks, or beaches. Call an elderly care agency to make arrangements for transportation services.
If you or your loved one is looking for Elderly Care in Menlo Park, CA, please call Familiar Surroundings Home Care.
Santa Clara County: (408) 979-9990
San Mateo County: (650) 353-9777
Santa Cruz County: (831) 480-3990