Program helps drivers get back behind the wheel

TMC’s Driver Rehabilitation Program strives to help individuals return to driving after a major injury or illness.

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Find out if you can reclaim your mobility

There are few things that evoke a sense of freedom like driving. To help people reclaim their driving ability, TMC Outpatient Therapy offers a Driver Rehabilitation Program. Occupational therapist Caity Craddock, who founded the program, explains its components and how it can help people get back behind the wheel.

Evaluation Process

The Driver Rehabilitation Program can be broken down into three sections: evaluation, behind-the-wheel assessment with the use of adaptive driving equipment, if needed, and recommendations for next steps. “The process starts with a doctor’s referral to the program,” Craddock says. “Then I do a comprehensive, in-office assessment of the patient’s cognitive, visual and physical skills. This helps me make recommendations, and if indicated, develop a plan of care specific to the patient’s strengths and weaknesses.”

In the best-case scenario, a patient passes the evaluation and does not require adaptive equipment. In this instance, “I still have them drive for me to demonstrate proficiency, and then I take them to the local Department of Public Safety for a drive test to demonstrate to the state their level of driving fitness,” Craddock says.

Individualized Training Program

Training is individualized based on the patient’s diagnosis, past medical history, driving history, deficits and whether they need adaptive driving equipment. “If someone can return to driving without vehicle modifications, we often will drive a few times in various environments to make sure they consistently demonstrate a proficient level of driving performance and safety,” Craddock says.

Taking the First Steps

To those who may benefit from the Driver Rehabilitation Program, Craddock says, “Get a prescription from your doctor and come in for an evaluation. Together, we can explore if you should return to driving and if you need to use adaptive driving equipment or adaptive strategies to be successful. It may only be a few minor things keeping you from reclaiming your mobility. You’ll never know unless you try.” To learn more about the program, call 903-416-4241

Health News

Fall 2023

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5016 South US Highway 75, Denison, TX, 75020

903-416-4000

Craddock may recommend using adaptive driving equipment and provides training on the use of the equipment during the plan of care. “If a patient has too many deficits across multiple domains, I often recommend they retire from driving, which is the hardest part of the job,” she says. “In these cases, I work with the patient to identify alternative means of transportation and develop a plan to help them stay mobile.”

For people who use a power wheelchair, the training happens in a minivan equipped with a wheelchair ramp and removable front seat. “I chose a minivan because it can accommodate the many different needs of my patients,” Craddock says. “Whether they drive a sedan or a truck, the minivan seems like a good middle ground that will feel familiar to them.”

For those who need adaptive driving equipment, such as gas and brake hand controls or a left-foot accelerator, training involves education on the equipment and driving in progressively more complex environments. “We start in an empty parking lot,” Craddock explains. “If the patient does well, we progress to a rural or suburban environment. We move up to urban driving, then multilane roads and finally highways.”

Amber Lester Director of Marketing

Jennifer Reed Media & Advertising Coordinator

5016 South US Highway 75, Denison, TX, 75020

903-416-4000

Amber Lester Director of Marketing

Jennifer Reed Media & Advertising Coordinator

Health News

Fall 2023

Sean T. Dardeau, FACHE Chief Executive Officer, Texoma Medical Center

or visit texomamedicalcenter.net.

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Back Behind The Wheel

TMC's Driver Rehabilitation Program strives to help people return to driving after a major injury or illness.