Older parents who have to give up driving - how did you handle this

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. My dad's driving was getting kind of scary and finally he had a little fender-bender

which rattled him enough that he reluctantly decided on his own that he should stop driving. My brothers and I were wondering how we should handle the situation but fortunately he made the decision himself so we didn't have to. It would have been awfully difficult - he really loved his car.

After that, we'd run errands for him as much as possible, and he also had stuff like groceries delivered. When he got to the point where he needed full-time in-home care, those folks usually got him to the doctor and other places he needed to go during the day. The senior apartment complex he lived in also had some transportation services - as I recall they had a shuttle bus that took people to a nearby church (which Dad didn't go to), as well as to some concerts and other outings.

It is not an easy situation to deal with. There are various transportation services, depending on where you live. Still, it's better if your elderly parent can get out rather than sitting at home all the time.