The ability to drive is a privilege most of us take for granted for much of our life. But for everyone, especially seniors, a time will come when we no longer have the skills to operate a vehicle safely.

Many have a hard time coping with that development and that's when adult children must speak to their parents about turning in their car keys, for their own safety as well as for those around them. Here are some timely tips now on how to handle this very sensitive issue.

Speaking to older drivers about their driving abilities is a great challenge for many adult children. But for whatever reason, from illness to disorientation it may become a necessity to take their keys. Lynne Burke is the owner of Comfort Keepers, a non medical home care service for seniors and she is a wealth of knowledge on how to broach this sensitive topic.

She says the number one thing for children to do is to open up the line of communication with their parents and offer realistic alternatives to getting around, including getting rides from family and friends, or from volunteers from church or community groups, taxis, home care companies or public transportation. Burke says allowing parents to be part of the decision making process is important. Stressing to seniors that leaving the driving to someone else is a natural progression, will also help.

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