Shifting Gears: How Occupational Therapists Help Clients Plan for Driving Retirement

🚗 Why Driving Retirement Matters

“Losing the keys” is more than a transportation change—it’s a deeply personal shift. For many older adults, driving is tied to freedom, identity, and community connection. When driving stops suddenly, the emotional impact can be as challenging as the logistical one.

At Limitless Living Solutions, we believe in proactive driving retirement planning—just like financial planning or healthcare planning—so the decision is thoughtful, not crisis-driven.

Driving Retirement Defined

Driving retirement means making a plan to stop driving when it is no longer safe. Just like people retire from work when the time is right, people retire from driving if a change in skills or a health condition makes driving harder or more dangerous.

Driving retirement is…

• Not a failure—it’s a smart and responsible choice that helps keep you and others safe.

• Planning ahead, not waiting for a crisis.

• Staying active, social, and independent by using other ways to get around, like rides from friends and family, senior transportation services, or apps like Uber.

👉 Everyone—no matter their age or health—should make a plan for driving retirement, just like they would for other major life changes.

The Growing Need for Driving Retirement Planning

By 2030, more than 70 million Americans will be 65+, and 85–90% will be licensed drivers. Older adults are safe in many ways—wearing seat belts, avoiding distractions—but are more vulnerable in crashes due to age-related fragility. In fact, except for teenagers, they have the highest crash death rate per mile driven.

📊 Did You Know?

Most adults will outlive their safe driving ability by 7–10 years (AAA, 2021).Without a plan, the transition often happens after an accident or sudden health decline.

Why Driving Becomes Riskier With Age

• Declining vision (night vision, glare sensitivity)

• Slower reaction times and reduced coordination

• Multiple medications with side effects like dizziness or confusion

• Changes in the absorption and metabolism of medications

• Higher crash risk at intersections or when turning left

• Mild cognitive changes that affect attention, processing, and decision-making

Age-Related Health Factors That Can Affect Driving

The Emotional Side of Driving Retirement

Driving is more than “getting from A to B.” It represents:

• Independence – Going where you want, when you want

• Identity – A sense of capability and control

• Connection – Seeing friends, joining community events

• Spontaneity – Running errands or visiting loved ones without planning ahead

When driving ends without preparation, people often face:

• Isolation and reduced social engagement

• Emotional distress or grief

• Missed medical appointments and activities

• Strain on family and caregivers

Signs It May Be Time to Check Your Driving

• Getting lost on familiar roads

• Feeling nervous or confused while driving

• Family members are worried

• Hitting curbs

• Not obeying traffic rules

• Getting into accidents or near misses

• Difficulty turning, braking, or maintaining lane position

The Problem With Avoiding the Conversation

Avoidance often leads to:

• Accidents or legal consequences

• Emergency decisions without planning

• Sudden loss of independence

At Limitless Living Solutions, we normalize driving discussions early—often during home safety or fall risk assessments—so families aren’t blindsided.

Occupational Therapy’s Role in Driving Retirement

As occupational therapists, we are trained to address all aspects of daily living, including driving.

Our role includes:

• Early, compassionate conversations about future driving

• Screening vision, cognition, and motor skills with validated tools

• Improving physical or cognitive skills through therapy

• Recommending adaptive driving equipment when appropriate

• Connecting clients to Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialists (CDRS)

• Guiding families toward safe, realistic transportation alternatives

• Implementing and practicing alternative transportation plans

📌 Expert Tip:

No single test determines driving safety. We use multiple tools—evaluating vision, sensation, cognition, reaction, strength and coordination—for a complete picture.

The GRID: A Simple Driving Risk Indicator

Steps to a Driving Retirement Plan

1. Assess Needs – Identify regular destinations, preferred routes, and transportation challenges.

2. Experiment Early – Try rideshare, public transit, or senior transport services before it’s urgent.

3. Create a Personal Transportation Calendar – Include backup options and key contacts.

4. Consult Experts – OT evaluation, medical review, vision check, CDRS assessment if needed.

📦 OT-Recommended Assessment Types

What Happens After a Driving Risk Screening?

You and the OT will decide next steps: 

✅ Keep driving and plan another screening in 6–12 months

✅ Keep driving with changes or strategies

✅ Get a full driving test with a Driving Rehabilitation Specialist

✅ Hold driving and start your driving retirement plan

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For Caregivers

Caregivers often feel like the “bad guy” when it’s time to address driving. OTs ease that burden by:

• Providing objective, professional assessments

• Facilitating compassionate, non-confrontational discussions

• Suggesting practical alternatives and resources

How to Start the Conversation

• Normalize: “Just like planning for retirement from work, we plan for driving retirement.”

• Ask: “What does driving allow you to do that’s important to you?”

• Reassure: “This isn’t an all-or-nothing decision—there are steps we can take.”

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When It Is Time to Retire from Driving…

It does not mean the end of your freedom.

It means:

• You’re putting your safety and others’ safety first

• You’re finding new ways to get around

• You’re staying connected to your life and community

Start Thinking About Your Driving Retirement Today

• Ask your doctor to refer you to an outpatient Occupational Therapist who screens for driving (it's covered by insurance)

• Get a driving screening every 6–12 months, depending on your health issues

• Create a driving retirement plan with your family and care team 

• Take small steps now to get comfortable with new options and stay in control

Why Choose Limitless Living Solutions

We are more than a home safety service—we’re Kansas and Missouri licensed occupational therapists specializing in:

• Fall prevention and safe aging in place

• Home Safety Assessments and modifications

• Medication management

• Chronic illness-friendly health planning, including dementia

• Driving risk screening and retirement planning

• Caregiver education and support

Our mobile, Medicare Part B outpatient service meets you where you are—literally and figuratively—so you can keep living the life you love, safely.

📞 Take the First Step Today

Don’t wait for a crisis to make the decision for you.

Let us help you create a driving retirement plan that keeps you safe, connected, and in control.

🌐 www.limitlessathome.com | 📱 (816) 300-1555

“The single biggest mistake is waiting until that moment of crisis instead of talking to adult children, caregivers, and loved ones and making a plan.” 

Jake Nelson, AAA Director of Traffic Safety Advocacy and Research