Red Flags and Off Ramps: Providing Community Education About Driving and Dementia.

ABSTRACT

Driving safety for older adults with dementia presents a continuing complex challenge in the community. More than 5 million people in the United States suffer from dementia, and their numbers are expected to grow. Evidence-based resources to identify and manage driving risks in older adults with dementia do exist, but the challenges of limited time in primary care and outpatient settings can make application difficult. This innovative project, funded by a Hartford Foundation Change Agents Action grant award, focused on interprofessional work to address the educational need for primary care professionals and family caregivers to manage driving safety for their loved ones with dementia. An interactive theater performance with development of an educational DVD was tested in a sample of professional and family caregivers. This project also forged new sustainable interprofessional community partnerships among educators/researchers and healthcare providers caring for this vulnerable community population.