Get Clear On Assessing Older Patients with Cognitive Decline and Their Ability to Drive
You’ve no doubt had concerns about some of your older patients’ ability to drive and wonder should I get an ot driving assessment? Front of mind for many GPs, Specialists and allied health providers is the ability of their older drivers or those experiencing cognitive decline“are they safe and are they at risk”.
The good news is your patients can now access an affordable occupational therapy assessment. Includes the DriveSafe DriveAware assessment which is designed for senior patients who may live with cognitive decline.
An In Room (Off Road) Desktop Assessment Checks Driver Safety, Memory And Judgment Skills
To date no objective measure has been comparable to a physical on road OT driving assessment. However, a practical occupational therapy driving assessment is expensive when you also include driving instructor costs. If your patient chooses a public service, they can wait over 6 months for their driver assessment.
Occupational therapists now offer a comprehensive Cognitive Fitness To Drive Assessment. The outcome of the cognitive driving assessment is a report which identifies the likelihood of a person passing or failing an on road driving assessment.
In the past health professionals have been asked to make recommendations regarding fitness to drive without valid assessment tools to guide them. As a result for many GPs the assessment and delivery of a decision to a patient is difficult and frustrating.
Our in house evidenced based, standardised occupational therapy assessment includes DriveSafe DriveAware (DSDA) and helps bridge this gap.
Here’s Quick Checklist To Schedule Your In Room Consultation Today
Where:
Conveniently located at The Johnson, Room T38 477 Boundary St, Spring Hill QLD 4000. It’s accessible via bus and also supported by free and paid parking options.
Who Is This Assessment For:
For people commonly over 70 years with or without memory health changes. This assessment isn’t suitable for people with active mental health conditions.
What You Need:
A current medical summary or referral is required with the referral form completed by your GP which you can get here: OT Driver Screening Referral Form
When:
Held twice weekly, a ot driver screening consultation can be booked by contacting us on 1300 783 200.
What to Expect:
After confirming your appointment time, you’ll receive an email and SMS notification of the appointment. This contains all the appointment information about what you need to bring on the day.
Rebate:
The OT Cognitive Skills For Driving Assessment is $599.00. You may be eligible to receive a rebate from your private health insurer if you’ve suitable cover.
An assessment is for older drivers. With or without suspected cognitive changes and adults who have an event which has affected their thinking and memory skills.
The occupational therapist will use objective, evidence-based measures of cognitive fitness to drive to help predict the safe driving ability of older and/or cognitively impaired patients. It’s quicker, cheaper and importantly predicts whether your patient will pass or fail an on road driving assessment.
Following you patient’s assessment you’re provided with a detailed assessment report which is backed by objective assessment of performance. It means reliable and predictable information.
Occupational Therapy Brisbane has developed an evidenced based cognitive skills to drive assessment specifically designed for older drivers. Here’s what the driving assessment process looks like.
Please note the patients with an active mental health condition are not eligible for this service.
To Schedule An In Room Consultation
Held every month your driver screening consultation can be booked conveniently by contacting us at 1300 783 200. Before scheduling your appointment please check you have a referral from your doctor.
