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Downsizing, To Move or Not to Move? That is the Question
Aging Well | Last Active: 1 day ago | Replies (575)Comment receiving replies
@projfan
So the things you write are all important. What is tricky is when does a person with dementia have the ability to make safe and wise decisions. That is why people should appoint a health care proxy before there is dementia complicating things. I am a social worker and I know how difficult it can be when a person is starting to have dementia. The bottom line should always be the safety of the individual or others who may be harmed if their decisions are unwise (such as driving when a person should not.)
Even applying for a conservatorship can be difficult unfortunately, but if done properly a person's wishes should be given as much consideration as possible.
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@tsch I agree! Totally we should get a health care proxy before dementia complicates things, and have a conversation with that person about what we would want. My personal problem is that my health care proxy is someone who is the same age I am, which is something I need to put on my list to fix.
And yes, giving up a car is one of the hardest and most necessary things, because we are usually terrible judges about how good we are as drivers in the first place, and as we get worse at driving, our judgment does not exactly get better. The way to find out that it's time should not be by injuring or killing a pedestrian. Or another driver. Or your own passenger.