Rocky Mountain Tracking

Getting Elderly Drivers Home Safely
By Jackie Gately

That Sunday morning was like any other for white-haired Mrs. Brown. She started her Datsun B210 for the short ride to the church, just a few blocks away. But somewhere along the way, she took a wrong turn and veered off course. Almost four hours later, the police finally located the aging driver, who was in a state of distress and confusion, miles from home.

The decision to suspend Mrs. Brown’s license was a “no-brainer” for her family. She had gone missing several times, and the family was simply unable to be sure of her location and safety when she was behind the wheel. That was more than thirty years ago, but the problem of keeping older drivers safe remains an ongoing issue.

Decreased reaction time, vision and hearing problems, stiff muscles and joints, cognitive disorders, and prescriptive medications all contribute to reduced driving ability as we age. In fact, according to the US Department of Transportation, drivers over the age of 75 have higher driver fatality rates than 16-year-olds. The US Census Bureaus says the over-85 population is growing. They project that 9.6 million people will be 85 and older by 2030. That’s a 73% increase from today’s numbers.

As the caregiver of an aging family member, increase her safety on the road before it’s necessary to revoke her license. Thankfully, cell-phones and GPS tracking devices offer a high-tech safety net. Ask your dependent or semi-dependent family member to take these steps before taking the keys:
• Carry a cell phone.
• Install a GPS tracking devices in the car.
• Avoid driving at night or to unfamiliar places.
• Carry backup medications for an emergency.
• Drive with a friend instead of alone.
• Avoid high traffic times and areas.
• Avoid ice and snow.
• Enroll in a refresher driving course for seniors, like the ones offered by AARP and AAA. (Bonus: it may lead to an insurance reduction.)
• Adequately address health, hearing and vision needs.
• Opt for alternative transportation, such as public transit or sharing a ride, when possible.

The loss of a person’s license due to aging is more than a change in mobility. It has an emotional impact. It takes away freedom and independence, making an unplanned visit with friends or an errand much more complicated. Such dependence can be humiliating and even feel like punishment. If you are ultimately left with no alternative than to stop a family member from driving, do it knowing you’ve exhausted every available option.

Jackie Gately is a freelance writer. She can be reached at jackiegately.wordpress.com. Mrs. Brown was her grandmother.

By RMT GPS News

Researchers at the University of the West of England, Bristol, found that an in-car information system from GPS could improve the safety of older drivers, according to Science Daily.

Older drivers currently face difficulty with reading signs which distracts their focus from the road causing them to driver slower. It’s believed that an information system in the vehicle advising them of road signs could increase their reaction time. The system would display road signs, track the vehicles position, and give audible notifications of events, such as, speed, speed limit changes, etc.

Researchers also believe this would build their confidence and give them continued independence. A survey was conducted among 65 to 85 year old men and women. It was determined there was a positive psychological effect with those who were still driving as the freedom gave them a better quality of life.

On the other side there are advocates against older drivers who are trying to place limitations on them. A system is currently in development that will put restrictions on senior’s driving. It would regulate speed and distance between vehicles. A survey shows strong opposition to this new system that would restrict drivers.

Although, the in-car information system utilizing GPS has created favorable interest among many, Dr. Charles Musselwhite, who led the study says, “Our research highlights issues that have been overlooked by car designers and those advising older people on lifestyles.” He also points out that his primary objective is to promote safe driving and independence.

Dr. Charles Musselwhite is not alone in his findings. Researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have found that seniors who continue driving are less likely to enter nursing homes or assisted living centers than those who have never driven or have given up on driving. An increase in senior independence also makes sense from a financial perspective as nursing homes are costing patients approximately $69,000 annually. The Hopkins study findings were published by the American Journal of Public Health. The study was conducted over a 10-year period 1,593 seniors between 65 and 84 years of age.

“We hope that understanding the very real health impact that losing the ability to drive has on seniors will encourage families to plan contingencies to assist elderly members with transportation issues,” says Ellen Freeman, Ph.D., an epidemiological researcher at Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute.

Technology developed by Mobileye already offers the ability that could increase the safety of seniors behind the wheel. Their camera-based safety solution for accident prevention offers audible alerts, such as, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and headway monitoring and warning.

The promotion of safe driving by seniors with the use of GPS is not a completely new concept. “It has been our belief for several years that the implementation of GPS tracking technology will improve safety among older drivers and give them the freedom they deserve,” says Brad Borst, President of Rocky Mountain Tracking, Inc., which is one of the leading GPS tracking companies in the United States. In fact, they have written many articles to introduce the idea, such as: Keeping Track of Elderly Relatives, and GPS Tracking Can Help Seniors Stay Independent, just to name a couple.

Borst says family members and care givers are most concerned about the SAFETY of older drivers. The company receives numerous reports that older drivers occasionally have a temporary phase of disorientation and need some guidance getting back to a street they are familiar with to get where they are going. This often leads to the senior being stranded without help and a family member worried not knowing where the elderly person is located.

The company’s RMT Rover GPS vehicle tracking system has provided their GPS to hundreds of elderly drivers. The tracking is conveniently accessible online from any computer allowing the senior additional safety and the care giver peace of mind.

Some areas of Florida will now see a program that is similar to “Amber Alert,” except that it aims to keep senior citizens safe rather than young children.

“Silver Alert” will give information about the physical attributes, as well as the make and model of the missing senior citizen’s car, along with letting the public know where the person was last seen.

Florida is not the only state to enact this program, other states including North Carolina, Texas, Colorado and Michigan also have similar programs. Some of the inspiration for Florida’s Silver Alert program came after a woman in her eighties perished in her car a week after she had driven away from the assisted living facility where she lived.

It is great that some states have decided to enact programs such as Silver Alert to help families keep track of elderly loved ones. But we want you to know that you have options and can implement safety measures of your own whether your state has them or not.

A GPS tracking device can be used to keep track of parents or other elderly loved ones. As the case in Florida demonstrated, an elderly person who is not incapacitated can still come to harm if they wander off the beaten path or somehow become disoriented. Haven’t you been lost yourself? You probably have, but you likely also have a cell phone or perhaps even a GPS tracking device in your car so that you could be found. Don’t you want to do the same for your elderly loved one?

Your family members or the staff at an assisted living facility may not be able to prevent an elderly relative from getting lost, but you can use GPS tracking to make certain that they stay safe.

A personal GPS tracking device can give you up to the minute information about someone’s whereabouts and keep you informed of their movements. This means that your loved one will not have to wander far, for you to be aware that they are not where they are supposed to be. You will not have to endure a heartbreaking search that lasts for days and days and your elderly loved one will not have to go through a prolonged period of disorientation and discomfort.

Call Rocky Mountain Tracking and talk to one of our experts about a GPS tracker.

When we refer to someone as being “of a certain age,” we usually pick that phrase to indicate that they are getting on in years. Really anyone and everyone is of a “certain” age. And if you are a part of what has sometimes been referred to as the “sandwich generation,” then you know that your loved ones of a certain age may be trying to our gray hairs on your head and age you more rapidly.

Members of the sandwich generation have to care for both senior citizen parents and raise their own children and teenagers. If you are feeling the strain of these dual responsibilities, you need all the tools you can get to lighten your load.

There are parents who cannot sleep at night or get through the day because they are worrying about their teenaged children who are out on the roads. Then there are some people who fret over their elderly parents who can still legally drive themselves. Imagine if you feel responsible for people in both of these age brackets.  Both groups desperately want to maintain their independence…at the expense of your sanity.

Rocky Mountain Tracking has some great products to assist you in this area. GPS tracking can help you keep elderly drivers safe and help locate someone in distress. A tracking device can also keep you informed about a loved one’s driving habits, so you can make sure they are doing what they can to keep themselves safe on the road. Tracking your loved ones can give you an extra layer of protection and safety.
Making use of GPS tracking devices to help monitor inexperienced teen drivers and experienced, but possibly frail senior citizen drivers can help restore some peace to the family.

Recently, I was thumbing through a magazine and there was an article about how to tell your elderly parents that you are taking away their car keys. That is definitely a touchy subject.

Although we have never managed to discover the fountain of youth, we have made enough advances in medical technology to live a lot longer than our ancestors. This longer life expectancy is paired with another expectation: that we can and should remain independent for as long as possible.

Last week, I wrote about how GPS tracking systems can make parents feel more comfortable letting teen drivers out on the road. Now it is time to look at the other end of the spectrum, what happens when you are not inexperienced, but very experienced? Really it is two sides of the same coin. If you are a part of the sandwich generation, you’ll find that your teenage children and your own parents both desire independence, while you desire to keep them safe.

I don’t need to tell you that as we age our faculties slow down and don’t work as they used to. But aging doesn’t mean we need to give up all of our activities. Many senior drivers drive with no difficulty. There are some people who continue to do so well into their 90s and beyond.

Still, aging does mean that we need to be more careful. If your parents or elderly relatives are competent drivers, you should still consider installing a GPS tracking device in their vehicles as a precaution.

Or perhaps you are a happily independent older driver…you don’t want to admit that you worry about being out on the road alone, but sometimes you do. Having a GPS tracking device installed in your car could give you a little piece of mind. If something were to happen, someone would know how to get to you.