Senior Transportation Options

Article used with permission from caringforasenior.com

According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study performed in 1997, senior drivers were only 9% of the population but were responsible for 17% of the traffic fatalities. Many families are faced with the realization that a senior is no longer capable of driving safely. This can be a source of conflict between the family and the senior, but once the decision is made that a senior should no longer drive it becomes necessary to find an alternate form of transportation.

It is very common for many seniors lose their ability to drive or safely take public transportation on their own. Once a senior is no longer able to take care of their own transportation, they will have to depend on friends or family members for help. Seniors still need to run errands as well as go to doctor’s appointments, hairdressers, or barbers.

Community Based Transportation Services

Transporting a senior to all their various appointments and errands can be very time consuming for a family caregiver. Sometimes it may just be impossible to reliably take care of this responsibility alone. Many states have programs that provide transportation for seniors. The National Center for Senior Transportation provides a list of contacts by state as well as access to other transportation resources.

Home Care Agency Services

Depending on the services available state provided transportation might be completely adequate for the transportation the senior needs. However, this may not be the best option for all seniors. In rural areas transportation may not be available as often as the senior needs it, or the senior may have special needs that require that they have a caretaker with them for their safety whenever they leave home. In this case, a home care agency may be able to help.

Many home care agencies offer transportation services for seniors and can provide caretakers to attend to the senior while they are away from home. This can alleviate much of the stress that a family caretaker may feel from having much of their time taken up by driving or waiting for a senior at a medical appointment.

“If things go wrong, don’t go with them.”  Roger Babson