In this edition
- The Road to Success for the Older Adult Driver By Debbie Hansen
- Are there any good diets that work?
- Banana Crumble
- Nevada SNAP-Ed
About the Newsletter
The National Safety Council considers Apr. Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Many older adults worry about having their driving privileges taken away. Learn more in our newsletter. Also featured is information from Cooking Matters ® on diets and a delicious banana crumble to celebrate National Banana Day on Apr. 14.
The Road to Success for the Older Adult Driver
Empty two lane country road lined with trees
“To drive or not to drive?” may be the question, but the answer for most older adult drivers is typically “as long as I can!” Driving is a highly charged topic with older adults. It should never be taken away too soon, nor should it be extended beyond the point of safety. But how do we know the right time?
An occupational therapist certified driver rehabilitation specialist uses their knowledge of health-related conditions that affect driving to assess whether those conditions can limit driving and offers adaptations to keep a driver driving safely as long as possible.
Older drivers may experience health setbacks that impact their ability to drive. These setbacks may be temporary or can be more permanent. When you add in other concerns, such as loss of peripheral or indirect vision and cognitive or mental delay, the ability to continue driving becomes much more complicated. Another concern is mental decline. Long-term studies suggest that 15-20% of those over age 65 may have mild mental impairment. The fact that mental decline is gradual, unpredictable and individual creates the most challenging situation.
A certified driver rehabilitation specialist can find parts of the brain that are affected by mental decline and can complicate safe driving. How is this possible? There are tests that determine the speed to which the brain processes, as well as how the brain alternates and divides attention.
Although these tests do not decide driving skill, they supply glimpses into the brain that are suppressed when challenged using the mental ability related to driving. These findings coupled with a behind the wheel test supply the most complete assessment of a person’s driving competency. In the mildest cases, recommendations for computer generated brain games and brain challenging puzzles can help in sharpening the brain’s speed of responsiveness.
Certain health conditions may require added equipment to keep driving privileges within the Nevada State DMV laws. Can’t use your right foot due to amputation or nerve loss? Don't feel comfortable that your foot can find the brake pedal in time? Has a stroke affected your visual field to either the right or left? Is using secondary controls such as the turn signal out of reach? You should consider optional equipment supplied by automotive installers and the available training to master other ways to overcome these matters. Often, physical limitations can be replaced with attachments to an existing vehicle, while still allowing others to use the car in the traditional fashion. While we await an affordable self-driving vehicle, these changes can extend the safe driving capability for years.
Although the road ahead can be filled with speed bumps due to health, driving privileges can be preserved. When concerned, drivers, family members and health care providers should reach out to a certified driver rehabilitation specialist.
Debbie Hansen is an occupational therapist and the only certified driver rehabilitation specialist in the state of Nevada. Debbie also owns Adaptive Driving Rehab in Las Vegas, NV.
Are there any good diets that work?
Healthy salad with grilled chicken and half an avocado
Sometimes nutrition experts will refer to all of the foods you eat as a diet. But our culture teaches us that diet means something entirely different – something you must do to deprive and limit yourself.
Think of healthy eating as the foods you want to keep in your diet, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains etc., rather than foods you have to try to summon the willpower to avoid.
Use your body’s cues to eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. Do your best to work
on a healthy eating pattern, so that most of the time you’re making nutritious food choices.
Cooking Matters Link for Tips and Nutrition Basics
Banana Crumble
Banana Crumble
Apr. 19 is National Banana Day – and the banana is certainly a fruit worth celebrating! But did you know that a banana is technically not a fruit, it is really a berry. This has to do with the fact that the seeds are located inside the flesh rather than on the outside. According to registered dietitian, Jessica Bell of Eating Well, bananas are the number one fruit to eat when you are on a budget. So, go a little bananas and play some banana inspired songs – Day O by Harry Belafonte, Yes, We Have No Bananas by Louis Prima or Apples, Peaches, Bananas and Pears by The Monkees – and get dancing while making this delicious crumble.
Ingredients
- 4 large bananas
- 2 cups mixed fresh berries
- Non-stick cooking spray
- 5 tablespoons whole wheat flour, divided
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup nonfat plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Peel and slice bananas in half lengthwise.
- Rinse berries and pat dry.
- Spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place the banana halves flat side down in the baking dish.
- Toss berries with 1 tablespoon flour. Sprinkle berries over the bananas.
- In a medium bowl, add 4 tablespoons flour, oats, sugar and spices. Stir to blend.
- Cut cold butter into little pieces. Add to bowl. Using your fingers, quickly blend the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly.
- Spread the crumbly mixture over the fruit in an even layer. Press down slightly.
- Bake about 10–15 minutes, or until the crumble is firm and golden in color.
- While crumble bakes, stir together yogurt and honey in a small bowl to create a lighter version of whipped cream.
- When crumble is done, spoon 1 tablespoon of the yogurt and honey topping over each serving.
🍌🍌TIP 🍌🍌
Keep your bananas in a cool, dry place. To keep them from getting overripe, bananas can
be stored in the refrigerator.
Visit for Chef’s and Nutrition Facts
Nevada SNAP-Ed logo
An EEO/AA institution. This material was funded, in part, by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), an equal opportunity provider.
LINK TO FURTHER INFORMATION...
