FREE WEB SEMINAR SERIES ON OLDER DRIVER SAFETY

As the recent tragic event in Santa Monica demonstrates, the subject of older adult driving is a critical, national issue that affects every community. There is a need to reframe the dialogue about older drivers so communities can focus on the many options for ensuring mobility and safety rather than engaging in a high-stakes battle over when to pull someone's license. We need to move from the reactionary "do we take away the keys" approach to the more constructive "how do we help older adults get where they need to go safely."

The information in these free seminars is designed to:
* Promote conversations about and explore ways in which communities can make it easier and safer for older adults to get around;

* Make appropriate driving choices that maximize their personal and community safety;
* Provide a fresh look at older adults as community resources and how older driver wellness can extend the period of safe driving during the aging process;

* Maximize mobility options;
* Maintain active community participation.

This free web seminar series will benefit anyone who works with older adults, and will provide you with the information you need to help older drivers make the decision about mobility and safety. You will learn about the issues of independence and control that are major factors in this decision, and how to have a conversation with the older driver. You will be able to recognize safety concerns and identify alternative options such as how to maintain skills through exercises and adaptive devices.

The following web seminars will be available "on demand" from now until December 30, 2003:

* When Driving is a Problem: Talking to Families About Difficult Decisions. Presenter: Vicki Schmall, PhD, Gerontology Specialist and President, Aging Concerns, West Linn, OR.

* Promoting Safety and Independence Through Older Driver Wellness. Presenter: Anne Long Morris, EdD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Geriatric Consultant, Elder Care Consulting, Springfield, VA.

* Assessment of Driving Capacity. Presenter: Linda Hunt, MS, PhD, OTR, Faculty Member, Flathead Valley Community College, Whitefish, MT.

Visit www.asaging.org/webseminars for session descriptions and to register.