GIVING UP DRIVING IN ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE - AN INTEGRATIVE THERAPEUTIC APPROACH

For patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), a recommendation to stop o perating a motor vehicle can be a serious event complicated by a loss of self-esteem and personal dignity. Patients are often reluctant to g ive up an activity so essential, both practically and symbolically, to independent living. We describe here a patient with moderately progre ssed AD who lacked insight of his need to cease driving. Through an in tegrative treatment approach, combining behavioral and psychodynamic m odalities, we helped him to formulate effective ways of coping with hi s loss of access to independent transportation. We favor a psychothera peutic strategy that combines behavioral and managerial measures with dynamic patient interaction, thereby developing the patient's insight of the need to give up driving while fostering his sense of autonomy.