A Task Force chaired by Bobbie Gray, Director of Carolina Meadows Health Services, with representation from our Health Care staff, the CM Board of Directors, The University of North Carolina Division of Occupational Science and our Meadows Assistance Program (MAP) was formed to devise an effective individually administered test to evaluate resident driving skills. The test is called the Driving Assessment Program - DAP for short.

   It is given by a professional occupational therapist from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and takes about 45 minutes and costs $50.00 per participant. DAP is designed to assess and improve a resident's driving skills so as to lengthen the time one can safely drive and help one make a sound determination as to when to give up one's car keys. After each test the driver is sent a letter giving test results and detailed recommendations for follow up if indicated.

   Our MAP Program is a major campus activity manned entirely by residents. As many as fifty residents volunteer to provide transportation assistance outside of regular office hours and on holidays and weekends to take neighbors to visit friends in hospital, go to medical or other appointments, pick up visitors from RDU Airport, and the like.

   As a first step in evaluating DAP, 8 volunteers from MAP were screened by the UNC professional staff. The results seemed worthwhile and it was decided to extend the testing to all the MAP volunteers. Because MAP drivers and driver-escorts provide free service to all of the community it was decided that the cost of the DAP screening would be shared by Carolina Meadows, Inc. and the Residents Association.

   Because of the success of the program to date, DAP screening will be made available to all Carolina Meadows who drive. It is also hoped by Carolina Meadows and the UNC Division of Occupational Science that the DAP will find many broader applications.

   Contact:
   Michelle Westrom
   Marketing Director
   (919) 370 - 7160