Driving + Community Mobility

We had a guest lecturer come speak on the topic of driving as it pertains mostly to the older adult population. He is a Certified Driver Rehab Specialist (CDRS).
One of the takeaways I got from the lecture is how you must assess many different physical and cognitive components to determine if someone should proceed to an on-road assessment. For example, the CDRS will first assess visual components such as acuity, processing, and attention. Then they will assess cognition (MoCA, Mini Mental, SLUMS, etc.), range of motion, manual muscle testing (such as grip strength), along with many other performance skills.
Something else I took away from the lecture is how we can offer some simple strategies (without necessarily being a CDRS) to individuals that are having some driving difficulties that are very cost-affordable. Some of these modifications include an enlarged rear view mirror, adding blind spot mirrors, and putting a dark colored towel on the dash to reduce glare.

One intervention that could be done with an occupational therapist regarding driving could include practicing transfers in/out of the car. This could apply to a patient with a spinal cord injury that is transferring with a sliding board from their wheelchair to the car seat.
Another driving intervention that could be done includes working with a group of older adult clients on fine motor type tasks in order to build up or maintain grip strength required to sufficiently grip the steering wheel. Some of these fine motor activities could include working with theraputty or using clips or tongs to pick up small objects.

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