Dr. Mark Rapoport talks about driving and dementia with CBC Radio

Conversations with loved ones about driving and dementia can be difficult and complicated. Dr. Mark Rapoport, acting head of geriatric psychiatry at Sunnybrook, highlighted the importance of these discussions on a recent interview on The Afternoon Edition on CBC Radio, Saskatchewan.

“If people with dementia continue to drive as their dementia progresses to a moderate stage, their risk of getting into a crash more than doubles, so there is a major public safety risk,” Dr. Rapoport explained on the show.

He also emphasized the importance of taking a sensitive approach during these conversations as driving a vehicle is important for mobility, independence, social engagement, and identity for a person with dementia.

Together with Dr. Gary Naglie, of Baycrest Health Sciences and University of Toronto, Dr. Rapoport is leading a team of researchers funded by the CIHR/Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration and Aging to identify best tools and practices to support drivers with dementia and their families in recognizing and discussing when it may be ‘time to hang up the key’ and stop driving.

Learn more about the research and listen to the full interview on CBC Radio Saskatchewan: February 25, 2021 - Episode: Driving and Dementia: Professors present seminar on knowing when it’s time to ‘hang up the key.'