Senior Driving Safety through Exercise and Assisted Care in Phoenix, AZ

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With the rise in the number of seniors across the nation, the average age of drivers is also climbing. Most people have this misconception that older drivers put others at great risk for injury, but the truth is that it is teens who actually cause more fatal and non-fatal accidents. Older drivers tend to harm themselves when they get behind the wheel of their cars. The good thing is older driver safety can be improved by staying fit and sharp. An average of 500 seniors are injured in a crash every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Physical fitness plays a key role for older adults to stay safe on the roads.

Looking after a senior family member suffering from mobility or memory issues poses a huge challenge for family members which one can overcome by putting him or her in a senior living facility. Assisted facilities comprise compassionate and experienced caregivers who are well-trained in taking good care of the residents. If you belong to the Phoenix region in AZ, you can book a suite at the award-winning Anthem Senior Living. You can expect for your beloved to receive the best form of assisted living Anthem care and support. The levels of care offered include Long Term care, Elder care, Dementia & Memory care, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s care and Respite care.

Physical Fitness for Older Adults for Safe Driving:

As per researchers, physical fitness plays an important tole in keeping drivers safe on highways which can be attributed to the fact that physical fitness helps older adults maintain a range of motion and flexibility with people exercising regularly experiencing fewer accidents. Areas important for older adults include

1. Being able to turn the neck, shoulders and upper body to look behind while driving. This is essential to safely survey the environment.
2. Older adults tend to experience more falls than their younger counterparts during getting into and out of the car. Core strength, balance and flexibility are integral to bending down to slide behind the wheel of the car.
3. Another very important driving skill is quickly turning the head to look over one’s shoulder while merging in traffic or changing lanes on the highway. This can be a challenge for seniors who aren’t flexible.

All these led the researchers to develop and test a series of eight exercises for older drivers with focus on four important areas including flexibility, overall strength, range of motion and coordination with each exercise considered to be no-impact and most can be performed from a seated position. Older drivers who participated in an eight to ten-week trial reported stronger muscle tone and greater flexibility, greater ease turning their head to back up and better ability to rotate their neck and shoulders.

Transportation Options for Seniors:

It can be difficult for a senior individual to hang up their keys. Prior to initiating a conversation with regards to driving, develop a list of transportation options like

1. Senior transportation services
2. Rideshare services
3. Senior living communities

You can consider an assisted living facility as facilities typically have a transportation team that arranges trips to local destinations and physician appointments.

Remember, you need to stay calm while initiating a conversation with your beloved about giving up driving. The conversation should go smoothly.

Book a suite at Phoenix’s Anthem Senior Living and gain the benefits.