Janet, Marc and Molly Vanden
I hope you enjoyed yesterday’s input from some of our early stage support group participants. For today’s National Caregiver Month discussion about driving, I’m pleased to introduce you to Janet, a caregiver who has “been there” and knows what it’s like to have this difficult conversation. Here’s her story in her own words:
“Hi! My name is Janet Vanden and I am my husband’s full time caregiver. My husband Marc began showing signs of dementia in 2006 at the age of 55. In 2007, Marc was officially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s by the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Center.
Marc was driving from the time he showed symptoms up until his diagnosis. I began noticing that he was getting lost very easily. He was driving really slowly to avoid other cars or really fast to get out of the bunch. Accidents became a huge concern; but there was nothing I could do or say. He did not like it if I offered or asked to drive and most times, he would not give up the keys. When officially diagnosed by UC Davis, they informed me that they were required by law to report the results of Marc’s diagnosis to the DMV. Once the DMV reviewed the results, they would require Marc to take both the written and driving test. If he failed, he would lose his driver’s license. Continue reading “Giving up the keys: One caregiver’s experience” »
