Stop Elder Driver Abuse (SEDA) has been receiving true stories of seniors being scammed by their doctor and the MOT.  We will publish any story of drivers license testing as long as the victim lets us publish their name (no personal information required).  Please feel free to forward widely as there is strength in numbers and light always conquers evil.

Here is Moe’s story:

Hi SEDA,

I am a retired member of the RCMP.  Here is what I experienced.

I went to my Dr. in Dec. 2013 to fill out the form I had received from the BC government. Unknown to me, with no previous information of any kind, my doctor calls up another form on his computer, different than the paper form sent in the mail. Not his fault, he was just following what he was instructed to do when a patient came in with the paper form.

When he got to the memory portion, he said he had to tell me of 10 different items, and I had to repeat them back to him. There was no way I could remember them all, not even 3 or 4, because at the time on that day I was under stress from other incidents at home. And it was the day before we were due to drive to Arizona, a trip of 1600 miles for which we were trying to get ready for.

So, after a couple of tries, I told my doctor to cancel it, forget it, I would get the test done in AZ. Which I did later at a doctor and he followed the steps in the paper form (wish I had kept a copy of this damm thing) and there was no testing to remember 10 items. The only small discrepancy was my blood pressure was a bit high, but it passed and he signed the form.

I mailed the form to the proper department in Victoria, and never heard any more about it. But I was really ticked off about the sneaky procedure this department was doing. They send this paper form with no advance warning, or information, that you may be tested differently than what was indicated on this paper form. No information to prepare for.

Later I read an article on my computer, I think it was either on Castonet.net here in Kelowna, or on Firefox. Not sure. This was about an RCMP member who was explaining about this test to seniors for “cognizant” memory. Never heard of this.

He went on to explain that the senior was asked to remember 10 different items and repeat as many as possible. Then the test went on to something else, and then came back to the 10 items again, and the senior had to repeat as many as he/she could remember.

And, this RCMP member seemed to endorse this testing procedure. Sounded like he was in favour of it.

I wish I had heard about your crusade before, so I could have kept a copy of the government form and the comments of this other member.

I have read the Stop Elder Driver Abuse (SEDA) and sent them a donation. I agree with what you are doing and will support any way I can. I have sent emails to all RCMP members that I know who are seniors, and asked them to forward the information to all of their senior friends. You may want to send information to Frank”s Fact’s & Funnies. You probably have already, and to FSRA.

I will write a letter to our premier, she represents our riding here in West Kelowna.

Keep up the good work, am sure you are appreciated by many.

Maurice(Moe) Cardinal

Folks, we can stop this madness…all we need do is work together.  Here’s what to do:

• Forward this and every post you get to as many people as possible, of any age to spread awareness and because they will be the next victims.
• Encourage everyone you know to subscribe at www.StopElderDriverAbuse.ca 
• Contribute to the legal defense fund so that we can fight test cases in smalls claims court asap.
• If you have a story, let us have it.  If you’ve been victimized in the last 2 years, contact us immediately at admin@stopelderdriverabuse.ca
• and for heaven’s sake give your doctor a signed and dated note, the instant you walk into their offices, that says “I do not consent to being given any memory, dementia, cognition or other tests that may affect my driver’s license now or in the future”.  You have a right under the Health Care Consent Act to refuse all tests and treatments.  The doctor has an obligation to disclose everything about the tests and the reasons for them, however, most seem to be acting like agents of the Ministry of Transportation and putting their patient’s rights last for the almighty dollar they get for giving this unreliable and discriminatory test.Give the doctor a new note every time, with a new date so that they cannot later claim ‘they lost it’.
• sign MPP Randy Hillier’s petition by clicking here.