DRIVER LICENSING DECISIONS FOR MEDICALLY AT RISK, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, AND LOCAL PROVIDER NETWORKS

In North America, the motor vehicle is the main mode of transportation, especially for rural and suburban communities. Importantly, older adults value driving as a “key” to their independence. Decisions to cancel a license have serious implications. The process to determine a driver’s fitness to retain their license is complex. There is an implicit duty to ensure evaluations consider each unique individual’s problems and potential. For individuals with medical conditions, the criterion to make licensing decisions requires the skills, knowledge and understanding of the medical condition challenging driving competence. Unfortunately, this is too often not the case. Several programs serve drivers but are not trained to evaluate medical risk, and we caution if these skill sets are interchanged. A driving instructor, who excels at evaluating driving knowledge and skills, may see errors in driving through the lens of educational needs not capacity to learn. It is unfair to drivers and the professionals that serve them if we misalign programs. This session will present the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities of driving evaluation and the varied professionals that offer services under this umbrella term. The presenters will describe how driving schools and driving rehabilitation differ, each offering a distinct value to the aging driver. Occupational therapy practice is dedicated to improving instrumental tasks of daily living, which includes driving and general practice OTs work with a small number of specialists to offer a networked service. Participants in the audience will receive multiple resources for referral, practice and treatment.