Dr. Clint Steele is a brain and nervous system specialist who focuses on managing (and even reversing) dementia. He has hundreds of thousands of followers, and just shared a tip for spotting drivers who might be at the start of brain degeneration…and it’s all about how they park a car.

Share with loved ones who park their car like this

Steele shows an image of a slightly crooked vehicle position in a parking spot.

The specialist clarifies that to raise a red flag, make sure this isn’t just a once-in-a-while thing. For instance, if you walk down a parking lot and see a car slightly out of alignment with the space’s lines, it’s probably not fair to call it right then and there. “They might be in a hurry or just disregard other people’s space.”

Issues with spatial awareness can point to dementia

Spatial awareness is your ability to perceive yourself in relation to your environment. This includes the distance between objects. “It’s basically your brain’s ability to communicate with your body to be able to coordinate things,” Steele explains.

So, then, if someone consistently parks their vehicle off-kilter, Steele says this could be an indication of diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia, or Parkinson’s.

This could show how someone might, over time, have trouble understanding where their car ends and how much space is left to pull forward into a parking spot, for instance. If they’ve been driving for 40 years and always parked straight before, crooked parking jobs might need to be taken more seriously.

Simple exercises can help

Steele says that when he sees patients who have trouble with spatial awareness, he starts with very basic exercises. For example, he puts a piece of tape on the floor. Then, he asks the patient to stand facing forward on one side of the tape. The patient can then step across the tape, leading with the leg nearest the tape. Next, they step back over in the opposite direction. This is repeated several times.

The key here, Steele says, is that the patient must work to complete the task without looking at their feet.

If someone has trouble stepping on, over, or around something without looking at their feet, “There’s a problem with spatial awareness there,” Steele says.

The specialist also confirms that strength training can help when it comes to dementia management. Strengthening muscles requires concentrated coordination.

Of course, if a loved one’s driving seems unsafe and they’re displaying other signs of early dementia, get a professional (medical) opinion. It might be time for some difficult conversations and additional effort to get them driving safer, or even to seek out alternative transportation.