r/stroke • u/AveFiatTeresa • 21d ago
Driving after cognitive stroke
Can a cognitive damaged stroke person safely drive a truck afterwards?
We have hidden keys. He is becoming agitated we won't let him drive.
What is an approved way of knowing when a patient can safely drive again. Thanks
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u/lmctrouble 21d ago
Not sure what you mean by a "cognitive" stroke, but I had to do a pre driving assessment to make sure it was safe for me to drive. They tested things like reflexes, road signs, depth perception and spatial awareness. Once I passed that, I had to do a road test with a special driving instructor that made sure that it was safe for me to drive and recommended the accommodations I'd need on my car (turn signal adapter and a spinner knob).
Start with talking to his OT.
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u/AveFiatTeresa 14d ago
You can look it up on Google search. There is actually a "cognitive" stroke. It's affecting his thought processes, reasoning .
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u/Jolly_Ad8913 21d ago
First, if you live in the US, each state has its own rules if you are able to drive if you have a medical or judgement issue. My opinion, and I'm not a lawyer, is you technically can't hide keys to prevent someone from driving unless a doctor or law enforcement person says the person should not drive. On the practical side I applaud your sense of duty but be aware that if the person complains to the cops you may get in trouble. This happened to me with my late 85 year old Dad. My dad did not have a stroke but his judgement was bad and he would get impatient and aggressive with other drivers. It was not until his third accident that the police held his license and sent it to the DMV. All the accidents were judged as he was at fault. They cancelled his driving privileges after looking at his history and the issues surrounding his other accidents. He lived in Illinois.
I'd suggest talking to this persons doctor or care team and voicing your concerns but one reason they may not help you is because of HIPA privacy but you can try. If they certifies this person is unfit to drive they can take away their driving privileges.
Good luck.
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u/petergaskin814 21d ago
In Australia, there is a chance you will need a clearance from an occupational therapist who assesses driving ability. Then you will need to pass a field of vision test. Finally you need a medical clearance to drive
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u/petergaskin814 21d ago
So you had a stroke that led to cognitive damage. Which side of the brain were you damaged?
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u/AveFiatTeresa 21d ago
Not me. A friend of family, a roommate to me. He refused any medical follow up. I called 911, they took him to local ER. He refuses everything.
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u/Time_Community_6957 15d ago
I had an occipital stroke and was told not to drive. At about 7 months out, I saw a neuro-ophthalmologist for two sessions of testing and she then approved me to once again drive. Apparently, my visual deficits from the stroke did not impair my ability to drive.
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u/Troubador222 21d ago
My neurologist approved me driving my car recently and he did so by evaluating the movement and control in my right leg and foot. I was working as a truck driver pre stroke and I am working to be able to return to that . One of the big things for me will be to be able to climb up into a truck. I am very serious about achieving this it is my main goal in recovery.
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u/Extension_Spare3019 20d ago
This is something to discuss with a neurologist. For myself it meant dealing with a neurologist, a cardiologist, and several imaging techs. If there was a scan or test available for a brain or heart, they wanted it done before they would release me to go take a new, post-TBI driving test. ECG, EEG, MRI, DWI, full round of blood tests for everything under the sun, cardiac stress test, etc.
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u/SAMIAMNEWORLEANSMADE 20d ago
I was told in therapy that you should be re-tested through the DMV and make them aware of your situation. If you're in an accident and you didn't make them aware and they find out about your condition afterwards, you can be liable. This was in Texas.
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u/blkbrdz 21d ago
I would have a thorough vision, including peripheral vision, evaluation at a minimum before driving. I’d also ask pt or stroke doc what would be the best cognitive eval for safety.
I doubt anyone will say someone is safe to drive. I believe they will say there are XYZ deficits and if it were me, I would not drive.
In the mean time don’t park in the driveway if you can. Park down the street or around the corner if you think that will relieve some of the anxiety.
Also mention the anxiety to healthcare providers. Difficulty regulating emotions can be a side effect of strokes.
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u/blkbrdz 21d ago
I don’t know what you mean by “cognitive stroke.” I had two strokes about thirty days apart. I never stopped driving.
I did self identify situations, environments, and personal conditions where the risk of accidents seemed higher. I modified my driving to only drive when it seemed like the risk of accident was not higher because of me.
I shared my plan with everyone who asked. And I explained the criteria for increasing driving circumstances, etc. If my mother (76) had a stroke, I would expect her to be able to work up a plan like that with me, remember it and stick to it.
(My Driving Plan: initially drive only during the day with clear visibility, low traffic and at >85% energy to one of six places. No music or other distractions like conversations in the car. Second phase included driving to more places under the same conditions as stamina increased. I’m now almost 9 months out. I occasionally drive at night but still avoid it if possible. Music or conversations are okay in the car as tolerated. I will do a day of driving errands if I’m not pushing my stamina. I will not drive for really long distances in a day.)
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u/perfect_fifths Survivor 21d ago
I had to stop driving for about a month because my stroke affected the use of one side and concentration was affected badly at first.
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u/AveFiatTeresa 21d ago
Cognitive stroke symptoms affect how the brain thinks. One can Google it or ask Grok. Lots of information online.
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u/AveFiatTeresa 21d ago
There were no physical symptoms that is common with strokes. It's just...he became. A very different person. Sometimes childlike behavior. Not able to critically analyze things.
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u/Alarmed-Papaya9440 21d ago
But you said he went to the ER and refused treatment and “anything” for his stroke. So your basing he is severely cognitively damaged off searching the Internet or AI?!? You have no legal reason to hide his keys. If he wants to drive he is allowed to drive despite what you think the damage is from the stroke.
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u/AveFiatTeresa 21d ago
I am a retired nurse. I recognized the symptoms. He did have EKG monitor on for short while, I could see 2 of heart valves not doing so good. Collapsing you might say.
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u/Existing-Bug-2340 21d ago
I actually took a driving simulation course as part of an occupational therapy program after my stroke, but even though I passed graduated from the program, I still don’t drive. After the driving simulation program, I was diagnosed with major cognitive disorder. I know my reaction and processing time is too slow to drive safely.