Senior Drivers

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Please call (602) 840-2323 for more information and to schedule an appointment!

Some Senior Disabilities we serve:

Aging Complications

Arthritis

Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease

Stroke

Click on our Disabilities page for more information.

Our goal is to evaluate, train, and prescribe adaptive equipment for people who need to drive their vehicles with special equipment. Many clients do not need equipment. We also help shop for vehicles that best fit our client’s needs. Please do NOT purchase a vehicle until we see you at our initial evaluation so we can better help you shop.

We perform a clinical evaluation of vision, physical abilities, cognition, visual perception, and topographical orientation and then take you behind the wheel for additional evaluation of potential adaptive equipment needs.

Student Drivers, those with Cognitive Impairment, Senior Drivers, Workers' Compensation, and Veterans Affairs may have any of these disabilities or a combination that also requires an adaptive evaluation, training, and prescription for their vehicles.

Spina Bifida – Special vehicle, adaptive seating, adaptive primary controls, and secondary controls, lift, reduced effort steering, chest strap, pedal extensions, backup camera

Amputee – special vehicle, adaptive seating, adaptive primary and secondary controls, adaptive seating, lift, handles, backup camera

Stroke – adaptive primary and secondary controls, lift, adaptive seating, handles, lift, backup camera

Spinal Cord Injury – special vehicle with lift or ramp (high-tech and/or low-tech equipment for primary and secondary controls), reduced effort steering/braking vehicle, chest strap

Muscular Dystrophy – special vehicle with ramp or lift, reduced effort steering/braking, primary and secondary controls, mirrors, chest strap, backup camera

Post-Polio – special vehicle with lift or ramp, primary & secondary controls, reduced effort steering, chest strap, mirrors, backup camera

Cerebral Palsy – special vehicle with lift or ramp, primary and secondary control adaptations, reduced effort steering/braking chest strap, mirrors, backup camera

Multiple Sclerosis – special vehicle with lift or ramp, primary and secondary controls, reduced effort steering/braking, chest strap, mirrors, backup camera

Arthritis -newer vehicle, reduced effort steering or braking, seating adjustments, mirrors, special steering devices, backup camera

Aging – same as arthritis – we also do a certified AAA Car Fit test to make certain the client doesn’t require any special equipment.

Learning Disability /Autism – GPS and adaptive equipment may be required if there are physical disabilities in addition. Additional lessons are always required.

Neuropathy – usually alternate use of primary controls of gas/brake for lower extremities involvement and may require steering aides for upper involvement

Vision Loss – additional mirrors, backup camera, possible referral to biopic driving

Traumatic Brain Injury – GPS, additional lessons, and other adaptive equipment as needed if physical disabilities also present

Here are pictures to demonstrate previous clients and their adaptive devices and also the adaptive devices we currently have on our evaluation vehicles:

1. #Call us! If your client has had a change in physical condition and has an Arizona Driver’s License, then they require testing. We can answer questions and provide further explanation of the regulation and how to proceed. Our clients have usually been injured on the job and require our services for an evaluation to be able to return to work and independence. Many clients require further training and prescription of adaptive equipment. See Adaptive Drivers for examples of types of client/equipment scenarios. We also help clients shop for a vehicle that matches their current physical needs. Please do NOT buy your client a vehicle prior to our evaluation. Also, please let us know if your client is getting a new power chair or wheelchair. We want to ensure the right match between the client and the vehicle.
2. We will schedule a timely evaluation. It is ideal for the client to come to us because we have several computerized tests that are not mobile.
3. Nurse Case Managers, physicians and adjusters will receive a report within 2-3 business days typically. To ensure a correct prescription, we may take longer to personally talk to manufacturers and vendors about getting the right equipment, and this takes time.
4. We will generate a prescription, if needed, for the vehicle equipment. The Nurse Case Manager and/or adjuster will contact our list of vendors to get the estimated costs of the job and then select the vendor and arrange for payment. We can fax a prescription to that vendor.
5. We will train only if specified in our report. Our evaluation report will reflect how many hours will be needed and the estimated costs. Training occurs in our vehicles prior to the client’s vehicle being purchased/adapted.
6. We see the client at the final session at the Vendor’s shop for a thorough inspection and final drive, ensuring a smooth transition from our evaluation vehicles to their vehicle if they require adaptive equipment. See Adaptive Drivers for diagnosis-driven scenarios. Click on Disabilities also to get more information.

Forms required for our driving evaluation:

Client Intake Form

Medical Consent for Records

Senior Family Questionnaire

Client Referral