Here is a tough question...

Age is one thing, but Dementia is another.  Somebody needs to step in. 

That is a difficult question, and I don't have an answer for you. Good luck. It really is in the best interest of everyone to get this gentleman off the road.

William- We see a lot of that here in South Florida.  Unfortunately, on the news there is the occasional story of an elderly driver plowing into a store or into a canal.  Sometimes, the same thing we would us on our children will work here and that is tough love. 

This is difficult.  Perhaps a conversation with the wife and maybe identifying a relative that you can talk to about your observations.  It is a tough place to be in for anyone.  Good luck!

Not an easy thing...sometimes better done by a doctor or social worker and explaining the alternatives for transportation....ie we have services like Senior Taxi done at little cost to the riders.

Very difficult situation, but we had to do it with my Father quite a few years before he passed.  We just assured him that wherever he needed to go, one of us would be available to take him and my Mother......and we were.

That is a very hard situation- an older lady across the street from me has had dementia for a few years now and still drives.  I am surprised her husband is allowing it- I think one days she may not find her way home on her own... 

On the other hand- my Grandma came to us and told us that she could not see well enough to drive anymore and needed us to set up grocery shopping and other errands- I was very proud of her!

This is a very touchy subject.  It needs to be handled gently

It does have to be done...but it needs to be done with respect

William:

That is really a tough question. In the best of worlds the children or extended family would be in their lives to help make those decisions.

Bill, I suggested this because on our rural roads, this could pose a risk to both the man and his wife, the passenger.  Likely, she is aware that he is not completely able to navigate a vehicle anymore, but might be cowed to say anything.  Report him and the vehicle with the license plate number to the local police.  Then let them know that you do not want him arrested unless he has put others in danger, but that you are alerting them to keep watch on his driving ability.  He may not need to be ticketed, just warned a few times to keep him from going anywhere again, especially in bad weather or after dark.  

He is endangering the lives of other people. A friend's son's was severely injured and he was only 19 when an elderly man veered in to the oncoming lane and hit him headon. He was on his way to school. He never attended that school because it took months to years to recuperate from his injuries. He has to live with metal rods in his body for the rest of his life. Driving is a privilege, not a right. 

Great question Bill, and one that many have to contend with, not only for the safety of the old couple at the center of the situation but also for the other lives that may be extinguished due to their inability to drive safely.

That is a tough question. It would depend on the person and who was handling the situation.  It definitely needs to be done quickly and with a loving heart.

Hi William,

William, the State of Maryland reissued a driver's license to my father when he was completely loopy and almost 90. My horrified mother his it and his keys, but the idea of him driving from home to the DMV was pretty scary.