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Background The emotional impact of driving cessation for people living with dementia (PWD) and their family/friend carers (FCs) can be significant, often contributing to their avoidance of this issue. In addition to the grief and anger associated with PWD’s loss of identity and independence, feelings of fear and distress can accompany PWD’s and FC’s lack of knowledge about driving cessation. In this study, we conducted an implementation evaluation of the Driving and Dementia Roadmap (DDR). The DDR is a web‐based collection of resources and tools to support PWD and FCs through the decision‐making process and transition to non‐driving, including information on managing the oft‐neglected emotional implications of stopping to drive. Method Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 19 Alzheimer Society (AS) staff after a three to six month period of delivering the DDR to their clients in six AS sites in four Canadian provinces. Eight PWD and 13 FCs who engaged with the DDR were also interviewed. Participants were asked about their experiences of delivering or using the DDR. An inductive thematic analysis of the data was conducted. Result According to study participants, the DDR had both a direct and indirect impact on the emotional aspects of driving cessation for FCs and PWD. FCs described how the emotion content gave them insight about the grief and loss the PWD was experiencing. This understanding helped them to attend to the emotional ramifications of driving cessation and to initiate conversations about driving with compassion, empathy and patience. Indirectly, the DDR also helped PWD and FCs feel that they are not alone, thus “normalizing” driving cessation. They reported being reassured that the actions they had taken and decisions made to stop driving were appropriate. Strategies about remaining mobile also brought relief and hope that PWDs’ quality of life could be maintained once driving ceased. Conclusion By providing resources and tools that not only directly address the emotional impact of driving cessation, but also attend to other aspects of managing the decision‐making and transition to non‐driving, the DDR has the potential to lessen the associated grief, fear and distress often experienced by PWD and FCs.

Background To address the gap in evidence‐based interventions and resources to support people living with dementia (PWD) and family/friend carers (FCs) through the challenging process of driving cessation, we developed a web‐based educational resource called the Driving and Dementia Roadmap (DDR). An implementation evaluation, which took place during the COVID pandemic, was conducted to explore the delivery, acceptability, adaptability, preliminary benefits and limitations of the DDR. Method The DDR was delivered to Alzheimer Society (AS) clients by staff from six organizations in four Canadian provinces from December 2020 to September 2021. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 19 AS staff, eight PWD and 13 FCs. In addition to questions about their experiences of delivering and using the DDR, participants were asked about the impact of COVID on using the DDR. Data were examined using a thematic analysis approach. Result AS staff reported that client concerns about driving cessation and the need for the DDR were less than anticipated due to COVID. They attributed this to other pressing issues such as the need to stay safe from COVID, a lack of access to services and activities, caregiver burnout and PWD’s isolation. FCs and PWD also indicated that driving was not an immediate concern because they were driving less in the pandemic. However, AS staff expressed apprehensions about increased driving risk in the aftermath of COVID due to reports of PWD’s profound cognitive decline and lack of driving experience during the pandemic. Conclusion Although COVID’s impact on driving cessation initially lessened PWD’s and FCs’ urgency in attending to this issue, the longer‐term implications of neglecting this issue may be considerable for PWD and FC. The need for resources, such as the DDR, to support PWD and FCs in the decision‐making and transition to non‐driving will be particularly critical post‐COVID.

Background The decision to stop driving and the transition to non‐driving is emotional and challenging not only for people with dementia (PWD) and their family members, but also for healthcare providers (HCPs) of multiple disciplines. With the growing number of older drivers, including drivers with dementia, HCPs are being increasingly tasked with addressing driving cessation issues. However, research indicates that most HCPs lack the knowledge, skills and resources to support PWD and their families in this context, often resulting in their avoidance of this issue. Our objective was to explore HCPs’ perspectives on the content they deemed important to include in an e‐learning program being developed to educate HCPs about dementia and driving. Method In‐depth semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 22 HCPs, including six primary care physicians, three geriatricians, three geriatric psychiatrists, six nurse practitioners and four occupational therapists practicing in six Canadian provinces. Participants were asked to provide feedback on the proposed content outline of an e‐learning program. Data were examined using a qualitative thematic analysis approach. Results Participants emphasized the “emotionally‐charged” nature of driving cessation, which they identified as being extremely challenging for PWD, their families and for HCPs. The trauma and negative impact that driving cessation has on PWD also affects HCPs’ emotions and work stress, influencing how they navigate driving cessation with their patients/clients. Further contributing to some HCPs’ stress was a lack of knowledge and confidence about determining when drivers were unsafe to drive and how to support them through the transition to non‐driving. Protecting the therapeutic relationship was a primary concern for HCPs, which they managed by: 1) employing avoidance and referral practices; and 2) mitigating PWD’s and family members’ emotional responses via communication strategies (e.g. deep understanding, prepared scripts, early and on‐going discussions about driving). Conclusion Study results highlight the importance of addressing the inter‐related emotional aspects of driving cessation for both PWD and HCPs in educational programs directed to HCPs.