Sunrise Senior College Online Course Registration

We have been driving safely for years. Many older adults value the independence of driving however, changes that happen with age may alter a person’s ability to drive safely. You may notice driving is becoming more difficult over time for yourself or for your loved ones you ride with. Changes in health, including medical conditions, medicines or injuries, also may impact a person’s driving skills. It is good to learn more about the different factors that can affect driving as you age and even the signs of when it may be time to stop driving so that you can plan in advance for your needs when that time comes.

In this presentation, Dr. Meuser will present some useful information that will allow us as seniors to better understand, by informing and empowering us, how aging-related changes in health and function may impact our driving safety. He will provide information on how the Maine BMV addresses medical-fitness-to-drive concerns, and how older drivers may self-regulate to remain safely behind the wheel or make a smooth transition into driving retirement.

Instructor:  Dr. Tom Meuser is a clinical psychologist, applied gerontologist, and social scientist based in Portland, Maine. He moved here in 2018 from Missouri to serve as the Founding Director for the University of New England Center for Excellence in Aging & Health. He retired from this role in 2024 and is now self-employed as a geriatric neuropsychologist (https://geropsychmaine.com/) and a researcher-educator for both the Maine Bureaus of Motor Vehicles and Highway Safety.

Tom led the team which developed Missouri’s approach to the medical evaluation of at-risk drivers in 2009. He was also the program evaluator for the AMA’s Older Drivers Project (which continues now through AGS). His 2025-2026 speaking tour in Maine focuses on informing and empowering older adults, as well as the clinical providers who serve them, to make reasoned decisions on driving mobility. Maine’s regulations are an important focus too. He can be reached at tom.meuser@maine.gov.

Class Information:  This is a hybrid class - held in-person in UM@M’s room SCI 102 and via Zoom. The instructor will teach this remotely on Zoom.  

All facilities at the University of Maine at Machias (UM@M) are fully handicap compliant.  The facilities used by Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at the college have ramps, elevators and handicap accessible bathrooms.  Our offsite functions and activities have various limitations and restrictions and may not be fully handicap accessible.  SSC will endeavor to identify limitations at these to you in advance.

                                                   IMPORTANT:  See Below

This class is available to all current Maine Senior College (MSCN) Members. The general public not wishing to join Sunrise Senior College at this time may attend this class for a $15.00 fee.

Important:  If you are not a current member of Sunrise Senior College (SSC) but are planning on joining SSC as a member today, make sure you answer that “Your SSC membership is current” when checking out so the we can properly bill you for this class.

Sunrise Senior College (SSC) is a membership-based organization. Our SSC members receive special benefits as current members when they register for this course. Any member of another MSCN college is also able to enjoy this course, but may incur some additional charges. If you are a member of the general public, you can take this course but will have to pay additional fees associated with being a non-member. For any attendee that is not a current member of Sunrise Senior College, any materials required for the course are your responsibility. When checking out, please carefully read and answer the questions asked associated with this specific course so that you are charged appropriately for this class. Failure to do this may result in your being cancelled from the course. We hope you enjoy this offering.