UAB Driving Clinic Serves as Valuable Resource

Along with housing, drivers' licenses and car keys are proud symbols of independence treasured by many seniors. However, maintaining independence must be tempered by safety concerns. That's where the UAB Driving Assessment Clinic comes into play. Jennifer Elgin, CDRS, OTR/L, is clinic coordinator for the UAB facility. She knows that 13 percent of all traffic fatalities involve an older person, with car accidents killing or injuring about 450,000 Americans ages 65 and older each year. Since older drivers are twice as likely as younger drivers to have a crash every 100,000 miles, Elgin's services protect both the older driver and others. "We provide an objective standard," Elgin said, explaining that UAB's four-hour assessment gives doctors and caregivers detailed information on patients' abilities. There are tests for mental processing speed — the biggest problem seniors face — and other criteria. The in-clinic test costs $150 and the road test, when deemed necessary, is $100. "Only about half of them go on the road," said Elgin, explaining that impaired ability is usually apparent from in-clinic testing. Besides encouraging referrals, Elgin has another message for physicians. "It's important to assess whether they're driving. Don't assume an Alzheimer's patient is not driving." Seniors often wait for doctors to address driving concerns, ignoring counsel from family or friends. Determining whether seniors are driving and then encouraging patients and caregivers to make use of the clinic, even making an appointment for them, said Elgin, keep the roads safer for all.