No abstract

The purpose of this article is to clarify the current New Zealand driving licensing requirements for older adults and to provide practical recommendations for those health professionals who make decisions regarding driving ability in older adults. Health professionals involved in the assessment of older drivers were asked to clarify areas where more efficient use could be made of assessment resources. A review of driving literature was performed to find specific factors associated with increased risk of negative driving outcomes in older adults. Particular attention was paid to the suitability of different types of on-road assessment for certain patient groups, the effect of specific diseases and medications on driving safety, and the effect of cognitive impairment. A list of seven recommendations were compiled which include a focus on appropriate on-road driving assessment referral, driver refresher courses, cognitive screening for those presenting for licence renewal and sensitive broaching of the topic of driving cessation.

Thirty-seven families whose children were victims of sexual abuse by a nonfamily member were evaluated and treated during a nine-month period. The average age of the children was 5.36 years. The youngest children were boys, and all the adolescents were girls. A theoretical framework adapted from Ferreira's and Byng-Hall's work was developed to assess and treat child victims of sexual molestation and their families. The format consists of three concepts. First, the trauma from sexual abuse, being outside the realm of usual human experience, creates a breach in the family's adaptive and protective shield, including its shared values and beliefs. Second, the trauma has a "derailing" effect on the child's and family's predicted passage through their world. And third, issues that arise as a consequence of disclosure are intimately tied to preexisting family myths and beliefs. Evaluation, treatment, and short-term outcomes are discussed.

Learning speed, processing speed, and categorical fluency strongly influence alaryngeal speech rehabilitation. This study highlights the potential for pre-laryngectomy cognitive assessment to help plan alaryngeal speech rehabilitation. This has significant resource implications.

Factors influencing parenting were compared when assessments were done: (1) on the hospital postpartum ward and, (2) in the home. Thirteen factors thought to contribute to parenting potential and two items summing the risk for abuse/neglect were assessed. Items evaluating the mother's health and her ability to talk out problems provided more accurate assessment in the hospital; child focused items could be evaluated in either setting; the mother's isolation, and perception of herself were more accurately assessed in the home. Most mothers generated less concern at home. If postpartum assessment raises concerns for future parenting dysfunction, it is imperative to re-evaluate in the home and initiate appropriate referrals.