Grantee in the News: Marian Betz Provides Advice for Older Drivers
On February 3rd, 2016, US News and World Report’s HealthDay column reported on the cyclical relationship between no longer driving and accelerated cognitive and physical decline in older adults. The article featured advice from 2011 COE Fellow and 2013 Beeson Scholar, Marian Betz, MD, MPH, on alternatives to giving up driving all together.
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that older adults who give up driving see faster rates of cognitive and physical decline than their peers who continued driving. As older adults tend to give up driving because of the very same health problems found to be worse after they stop driving, this creates a curious cycle. To limit these negative effects, Dr. Betz recommends seniors consider “limited driving” or ceasing to drive in stressful conditions such as at night and during rush hour.
Read more about Dr. Betz’s research to develop a screening tool for doctors to utilize to evaluate the driving capacity of older adults in AFAR’s recent Beeson report featuring her work.
Read the compete HealthDay article here.
Marian Betz, MD, MPH, is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado.