Week 2: Older driver and concerns Flashcards
Ethics
It is the occupational therapist’s responsibility to address driving as one of the patient’s IADLs.
If the patient’s ability to drive safely is in question, the OT is obligated to work within his/her skill level for assessing and advising the patient.
Driving is a privilege not a right. If an individual does not have the cognitive, perceptual or visual motor skills to drive in traffic, he should not be driving. It is a community issue in which the driver may put himself or others at risk if he is not fit to drive.
Driving and community mobility is within the scope of occupational therapy practice and the ethical obligation of the practitioner to identify risk (Slater, 2012).
In fact, practitioners cannot make decisions about driving licensing, as only the state licensing agencies grant licenses.
However, because occupational therapy practitioners observe functional performance and identify risk, they have been identified as the “go to” profession for driver evaluation and rehabilitation
What is the role of the OT?
The OT screens the patient and sends a clinical note with assessment info to the MD recommending a driver eval or no more driving
What is the role of the driver rehab specialist?
Does a full driver eval and makes recommendations for remediation, modification, or retirement from driving
Whose job is it to restrict or suspend the patients license?
The DMV
Who can request an unsafe driver investigation?
anyone can send a letter to the DMV
What is the process like?
if a driver is reported by a MD or concerned individual, the driver is asked to go to the DMV for an interview. If there are concerns the driver is required to have a medical form completed by the MD to report medical status and state whether it is safe or not
What is the goal of driver rehab?
Goal is coarse of action for safe mobility & transportation
The intervention is focused on reducing impairments or deficits related to driving and alternative mobility methods
What is driving rehabilitation?
A form of therapy—traditionally compensatory—that plans, develops, and implements services for individuals with disabilities in order for the individual to drive.
What is a driving assessment?
USe of an on-road test to measure and qualify driving skills and abilities
What is a driving evaluation?
Obtaining and interpreting data and documenting results to inform an individualized mobility plan based on an individual’s driving abilities or potential to be an independent driver or to inform a determination of fitness to drive
What is a clinical driving evaluation?
A health-care professional obtains and interprets data and documents results to determine fitness to drive through assessment of sensory-perceptual, cognitive, or psychomotor functional abilities using specific tools or instruments
What is a comprehensive driving evaluation?
A complete evaluation of an individuals driving knowledge, skills, and abilities by a health care professional
What do the letters in OT-DRIVE stand for?
OT- Occupational Therapy
D- Determine
R- Readiness
I- Intervention
V- Verification
E- Evaluation
What does determine mean in OT-DRIVE?
determining the next steps based on this initial assessment
What does readiness mean in OT-DRIVE?
OT determines the intervention plan considering the clients impairment on the potential for driving
