Impact of driving cessation on daily transportation utility in elderly people with cognitive decline: a survey of patients in the memory clinic of an urban university hospital

Objective: In the present study our goal was to explore the impact of driving cessation on daily transportation utility in older people with cognitive decline.

Methods: A total of 101 older persons participated in our survey of responding of a questionnaire about driving and other methods for traveling, administered at the memory clinic of the geriatric outpatient unit of Nagoya University Hospital. Of this total, 48 (47.5%) still had driving licenses, 16 (15.8%) had licenses that had expired, and 37 (36.6%) had no driving experience.

Results: The majority of license holders (77.1%) were active drivers, and we found that license holders tend to utilize public transport loss than older people without driving experience. Furthermore, among those who had ceased driving, there was a contrast in daily transportation utility between those with dementia and those without dementia, with the former accessing public transport less frequently.

Conclusions: When clinicians advise drivers with dementia to cease driving, these patients need special attention to assist them in providing alternative ways of transportation.