Tag: driving

Some Medicines and Driving Don’t Mix

If you’re taking a medication, is it safe to drive? Most likely, yes. Still, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises you to make sure before operating any type of vehicle, whether a car, bus, train, plane, or boat. Although most medications won’t affect your ability to drive, some prescription and nonprescription medicines can… Continue reading Some Medicines and Driving Don’t Mix

Living Alone with Early-Stage Dementia

Many people with early-stage dementia can manage living alone. But without adequate precaution, this can be difficult even at the best of times, and the COVID – 19 pandemic makes the situation harder. If a patient is convinced that he or she can live alone, caregivers need to check frequently on their loved one to… Continue reading Living Alone with Early-Stage Dementia

Five Myths about Alcohol

It is not uncommon for people to hold familiar myths as fact. Many people regard old proverbs about partying and alcohol as tried and true. Most often, they’re not. Here are five myths – and the real facts: Myth #1: Eating after a night of heavy drinking will reduce your hangover The general belief is… Continue reading Five Myths about Alcohol

Discussing Financial and Life Changes with Your Doctor

Planning for your care in the event of a long-term or serious illness can involve more than giving a loved one a health care directive, a living will or health care proxy, and a power of attorney. If you have questions about what choices you have, you can ask your doctor as well. One way… Continue reading Discussing Financial and Life Changes with Your Doctor

Drinking at Home – and Driving Later

Although we associate drunk driving with drinking at restaurants and bars, drinking at home is also a big problem when it comes to cars. A new study from analysts at the Prevention Research Center (PRC) at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) says that drinking at home is strongly associated with driving after… Continue reading Drinking at Home – and Driving Later

Exercises to Make You a Better Driver

Editor’s note: Here, from the experts at the Go4Life division of the National Institute on Aging, tips on the exercises that can make you a better driver. It’s your health—not your age—that matters most in driving safely. As you get older, you may notice physical changes that may affect driving such as changes in your strength,… Continue reading Exercises to Make You a Better Driver

Your Medications and Your Driving

If you’ve ever worried about the effect your medications might have on your driving skill, the experts from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ( http://www.nhtsa.gov/) tell you what you need to know: For most people, driving represents freedom, control and independence. Driving enables most people to get to the places they want or need… Continue reading Your Medications and Your Driving

“Sixth Sense” Protects Drivers – But Not While Texting

While much has been made about the dangers of texting and driving, less attention has been focused on the age-old distractions of being absent-minded or upset while driving. A team of researchers from the University of Houston (UH) and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) focused on all three of these important factors. Led by… Continue reading “Sixth Sense” Protects Drivers – But Not While Texting

Older Adults May Be Confused by Visual Stimuli

Older adults may have difficulty in combining what they see and hear – and that could have an effect on quick decision needed in situations like driving. A recent study from the University of Waterloo, in Ontario, found that seniors have a harder time distinguishing the order of events than younger adults. When researchers presented… Continue reading Older Adults May Be Confused by Visual Stimuli

Are Your Senior Loved Ones Safe to Live Alone?

This week, millions of adult children will head “home” to spend time with their parents and grandparents over the holidays.  It’s a time for family celebrations and bonding. And for adult offspring with elder loved ones, it’s also a rare time – with potentially five or more days spent together – to evaluate whether their… Continue reading Are Your Senior Loved Ones Safe to Live Alone?

The Most Dangerous Devices on Your Dashboard

Most of us know about the dangers of texting while driving, but talking to your car infotainment system or smartphone, according to new studies for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. One of the studies showed that it is highly distracting to use hands-free voice commands to dial phone numbers, call contacts, change music and… Continue reading The Most Dangerous Devices on Your Dashboard

Can You Drive Safely with Arthritis

Although you might think of poor vision as the most common factor in seniors’ impaired driving ability, arthritis can also be an obstacle. According to NIH SeniorHealth, a division of the National Institutes of Health, arthritis can make joints swollen and stiff, thereby limiting movement of the shoulders, hands, head or neck. That can make… Continue reading Can You Drive Safely with Arthritis

Skin Safety Tips for Winter

Just because it’s getting close to winter, don’t pack away your sunblock with your swimsuit. In fact, winter’s sun is just as dangerous as summer rays, according to Adam J. Scheiner, MD. “The snow reflects the glare of the sun – and the damaging UV rays,” says Scheiner. “People who like skiing and snowboarding in… Continue reading Skin Safety Tips for Winter

OTC Meds May Affect Your Driving

Anyone who operates a vehicle of any type—car, bus, train, plane, or boat—needs to know there are over-the-counter medicines that can make you drowsy and can affect your ability to drive and operate machinery safely. Over-the-counter medicines are also known as OTC or nonprescription medicines. All these terms mean the same thing: medicines that you… Continue reading OTC Meds May Affect Your Driving