January 19th, 2023Driving after dementia

Driving after a dementia diagnosis will be the hot topic of discussion at Central Highlands Rural Health’s annual general meeting on Thursday, February 16 at the Kyneton Ambulatory Care Centre from 7.30pm.

According to a 2022 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report, 517 people were living with dementia in the Macedon Ranges Shire, of which 204 were males, and 314 were female.
In Hepburn Shire, there are 389 people living with dementia, with 240 females and 149 males diagnosed.
Guest speaker at the public event is Professor E. (Joe) Ibrahim, pictured, a medical specialist and academic in aged care who has been a practising senior consultant specialist in geriatric medicine with over 30 years of clinical experience.
Several years ago, Professor Ibrahim produced an animated video addressing the complex issues involved in assessing whether a person with dementia is fit to drive. He believes screening this video at the annual general meeting will help generate discussion, and possibly debate, among the public and health professionals during a Q&A session.
“It’s not so much a discussion about how and when to decide to stop driving when a person receives a dementia diagnosis, more about how a person transitions to becoming a passenger,” Professor Ibrahim said.
“And the conversations and decisions with family and friends that follow.”
Over his long and distinguished career, Professor Ibrahim has been Head of the Health Law and Ageing Research Unit at Monash University and, more recently, Adjunct Professor at the Australian Centre for Evidence Based Aged Care at La Trobe University.
Professor Ibrahim’s ongoing research is investigating approaches to reducing harm to older persons and improving their quality of life. To register interest in attending the 2023 Central Highlands Rural Health AGM, email communications@chrh.org.au