P: 204-949-3234

Your source for the latest news, reviews, and all things caring!

The October Edition | October 11, 2018
Katherine Peters
President & CEO

Message from the President

Greetings friend, and welcome to the October Comfort Connection!
My mom will be 89 this January. She still has a driver’s licence and is still driving her car. But that might be changing.
In the past 12 months, she has had 2 at-fault accidents, and 2 other accidents with her car that were not her fault. This last accident was a doozy. She was northbound on Pembina Highway and turned left across 3 lanes of traffic. She misjudged the speed of the car coming south on Pembina towards her and got T-boned on the rear passenger door in the curb lane. The impact was so great, her car got bounced right up on the boulevard.
Although my mom has no visible cuts and bruises, she was panicked by the accident. She was shaky, her heart was beating out of her chest, and she couldn’t think straight. She also sustained a severe concussion.
Her car is written off. She is visibly shaken by this accident.
Everything in me is screaming, "MOM, STOP DRIVING!!! I love you too much for me to let you drive ever again!!!!" But this is a delicate matter. It involves another adult’s decision, not just mine!
I remember having to talk her out of driving to Saskatchewan to visit her son even after her last trip was a complete disaster. She got lost more than once and a "nice man" helped her on the way! She said, "You know, I only saved 3 hours by flying!"
As a daughter, what is my responsibility? I care about my mom. How do I support her and guide her in the right direction while keeping her dignity intact? I emailed my 4 siblings. The consensus is if we can get her to make the decision not to drive herself, she will feel much better about not driving.
To her credit, my mom has limited her driving of her own volition. She doesn’t drive at night. She won’t drive downtown. She won’t park downtown. She only drives familiar routes. She gets rides with friends often to help limit the amount of driving she does.
Although I take pride in my persuasive skills, obviously my mother is immune to my ability to convince. She wouldn’t have any of what I had to say. She will continue to keep her independence, even if... (I pray nothing untoward will happen.)
If nothing else, I’ve learned a great deal about how MPI works. A concerned individual can submit a person’s name to the MPI Medical Compliance and Assessments Department. They will assess an individual’s fitness to drive. However, they are quite backed up. MPI also offers a 3-hour Mature Driver Workshop, and although it's not mandatory, I’m pretty sure I can convince my mom to attend. After all, she will be able to drive herself there!
Bless you as you too may be a caregiver to an older parent or loved one! 

Katherine Peters
President & CEO

Comforts of Home – Care 

Road Safety Tips

Driver licences fall under provincial jurisdiction, and there are no driving restrictions based on age in Manitoba.
We want to know... what do YOU think?
Should Manitoba instate a Licence Renewal Program (like Ontario does)? 
Should the Mature Driver's Workshop offered by MPI be mandatory at a certain age?

Click here to share your thoughts with us in a quick poll!

Research has shown that the skills needed for safe driving – vision, reflexes, flexibility and hearing – begin to deteriorate around age 55 with an even greater loss after age 75. Aging drivers can adjust their driving habits to cope with this decline.  

Click here to learn more & get road safety tips

Recipe of the Month: Sweet & Spicy Turkey Curry

Haven't had enough turkey yet? This is a great way to enjoy it!
A warm and comforting recipe, this meal is quick to pull together. Featuring plenty of good-for-you ingredients and a delicious medley of flavours, it's just the thing to enjoy on a cool autumn day.

Click here for the recipe

Video: How Aging Affects Our Driving

As we age, our physical and mental abilities change too, and that can affect our driving.
This video explains some of the physical and mental changes that happen as we age, with suggestions about adjustments that can help to compensate for those changes.

Click here to watch the video now

How to Negotiate Driving Privileges

The following questions are designed to assist family members to engage in non-emotional conversation to determine whether or not it is time for the senior to stop driving:
  1. Sometimes when I drive at night, it’s hard to see. Does this happen to you, too?
  2. Do other drivers make you nervous? I know I get jumpy when everybody goes too fast.
  3. Maintaining a car these days sure is expensive. How do you do it?
  4. Isn’t parking getting more difficult and expensive these days?
  5. I just read about the Mature Driver Workshop offered by MPI. What do you know about it?
  6. What did the doctor say about your medications and driving?
  7. How do you get around when your car is in the shop?
  8. Have passengers refused to drive with you? What did you do then?
  9. How about letting someone else drive for once?
  10. What activities are you afraid of missing? Can anyone else help you get there?
  11. When was your last eye exam? How did it go?
  12. How much are you paying for car insurance these days?
  13. What would you do if a carjacker approached your car? 

Click here to learn more about seniors & driving

Test Your Driving Knowledge

How's your own driving knowledge? It's important to brush up on our driving skills, no matter our age.
Taking this quiz to test your driving knowledge and check your own skills could be a great starting point for a conversation with an older driver in your life, too.

Click here to test your driving knowledge.

Joke of the Month

After trick-or-treating, a teen takes a shortcut home through the cemetery.
Halfway across, he's startled by a tapping noise coming from the misty shadows. Trembling with fear, he spots an elderly man with a hammer and chisel, chipping away at a headstone.
"I thought you were a ghost," says the relieved teen. "What are you doing working so late?"
"Oh, those idiots," grumbles the man. "They misspelled my name!"
Comforts of Home - Care
P: 204.949.3234 | F: 204.949.9049 | E: info@cohcinc.com | W: ComfortsOfHomeCare.ca
Twitter Facebook LinkedIn
powered by emma
Subscribe to our email list.