There isn’t much I need to tell you. What I am trying to teach younger people by writing this book, you have probably already learned from your experience of life. Perhaps some of the earlier sections may have been a refresher, or maybe the description of computers and the Internet have inspired you to get a computer to start exploring the world. I know one thing, I don’t think I will ever stop learning! There are a couple of topics I would like to present for your consideration.
How Vulnerable Are You?
The answer is probably not as vulnerable as you might think in some ways, but probably more vulnerable in other ways. There is one important lesson to take away. Although crime in general and violent crime is rising, the likelihood of an older person being a victim of that crime or violence is very low. If you learn from the advice given in this book, maintain a level of awareness and implement as many countermeasures as you can, you won’t become a victim.
You may like to read
The Home Security Handbook for advice on home security.
Driving And The Elderly
Advanced age does not mean that you are incapable of driving safely. Unfortunately, it is an inescapable medical fact that hearing, eyesight and
reactions gradually get worse as we grow older. The average teenage boy-racer probably takes more risks and causes more accidents than his grandpa, but his age doesn’t make him a bad driver either. Unfortunately as we age the quality of our driving skill does diminish and some older drivers should not be driving.
Driving skills can start to fade any time after the age of 60, but generally people don’t suffer any appreciable change until about the age of 75. Statistics show that the number of traffic accidents, driver and pedestrian deaths attributable to older drivers increases sharply after the age of 65. To some extent this could be due to the frailty of the drivers themselves, but failing eyesight and slower reactions must be a major contributory factor.
Unlike a drunk driver, an older driver should be able to recognise that time when their skills and abilities don’t equip them to drive on our increasingly overcrowded roads.
While failing eyesight, poor hearing and slow reflexes can reduce driving ability, illness can also be to blame. Diseases such as the early phase of Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, alcoholism, diabetes, effects of a stroke, arthritis, sleep apnea, and Parkinson’s disease can all make a driver dangerous.
On top of that, some prescribed medication can make a driver unfit to drive. Antidepressants, some antihistamines, glaucoma medications, some anti-inflammatory drugs (painkillers such as aspirin and ibuprofen), and muscle relaxants can all affect a patient’s driving ability. Mixing even a glass of sherry with some medications can produce the same impairment as drinking ten pints of beer.
Though the above diseases and medications do not mean that you are definitely unfit to drive, if you suffer from any of those diseases or take any of that medication, you should arrange for your driving skills and safety to be assessed.
The bottom line is that if you aren’t safe, stay off the road. I spoke to one old gent who had cataracts in both eyes, when I pointed out how dangerous it was he said he was ‘willing to take the risk’ because he wanted to get around. The problem was that his driving was putting everyone else at risk! If you are driving a car, remember that it isn’t just you that you put at risk, it is all other road users. And other road users include your wife or husband, your daughter, grandson, nephew, neighbour, old Mrs Biggins from number 42, and the world in general.
When it is time to stop driving, recognise it, accept it, and sell the car.