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Doctors will tell you that one of the more difficult conversations they have is telling a patient they can no longer drive safely.

“Losing a driver’s license can be a devastating life change for older adults,” says Dr. Gary Naglie, chief of medicine at Baycrest Health Sciences in Toronto. “It can lead to isolation, loss of independence, depression and even earlier institutionalization.”

Driving demands focus, quick reaction times, good judgment and efficient problem-solving skills to get from point A to point B safely. Yet it is no secret that as people get older, these abilities decline.

People diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at increased risk of decline in their driving skills. MCI is a risk marker for progressing to Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia within a few years, although that is not always the case.

Age is certainly a potent factor when it comes to one’s ability to focus and process information, says Dr. Naglie. “The older you get, the higher the risk of developing MCI. The reality is many people past middle age are simply not as good at these things as when they were 18.”