Australian occupational therapists' perspectives about the management of driving safety concerns for older people with dementia and mild cognitive impairment

Dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are brain conditions involving difficulty with memory and thinking, with dementia diagnosed when the changes are more severe. These conditions are not a normal part of getting older, but they are much more common in older people. Research has found that some, but not all, people with dementia and MCI show unsafe driving behaviours. As people with dementia and MCI are often unaware that their driving is unsafe, health professionals, such as doctors and occupational therapists, should be involved in deciding if, or when, they should stop driving. In this study, occupational therapists were asked to provide their opinions about how driving safety concerns for older people with dementia and MCI are managed by health professionals. Occupational therapists reported that there is variation in how concerns are managed, with driving problems often getting missed or avoided. They reported that this can happen because health professionals may not feel confident in their decision-making abilities, or they may feel that discussing driving concerns will cause the person to get upset or angry with them. They also reported that health professionals may not always know that a person has dementia or MCI, and if they do know, it is not always clear which health professional should take on the responsibility of considering the person's driving safety. The occupational therapists wanted a resource to support health professionals in providing more consistent care for patients relating to driving safety.