As the end of National Safe Driving Month (June) transitions to Independence Day (July 4) – this is a perfect time for family caregivers to have the conversation with their older loved ones about the ability to get around even after their car keys have been “retired.”

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about when and how family caregivers can have this driving retirement conversation with their loved one.  This week’s blog focuses on those alternatives to driving that are important in helping your senior maintain their independence.  Helping to keep our older Americans mobile is essential to our economy and to the health of our communities.  It also ensures these older loved ones do not become isolated and disconnected from daily habits and activities or lose their sense of feeling valued and vital.

Getting Loved Ones from the Driver’s Seat to the Passenger Seat

While much of the transportation services for seniors who no longer drive falls to the primary family caregiver, there are ways to engage other family and friends in the quest to keep your loved one mobile and independent.  Consider these ideas from caregivers I have heard from on this topic:

1. Find friends or neighbors in similar “non-driving” situations – create a “car pool” of your collective money to hire a driver to take all those needing transportation on errands or to social activities such as church.
2. Check with local churches and temples, senior centers and other community places – many have “ride share” programs for seniors or those with disabilities.
3. For things such as groceries, dry cleaners, etc. — some local merchants deliver.  Talk to them and explain your loved one’s situation and make sure you both feel safe having things delivered rather than picking them up yourself.
4. Consider having your older child teach grandma or grandpa on how to use the internet – this would allow them to buy groceries, send packages through the mail or get postage, etc.  Learning a new skill can energize your older loved one and take away their sense of loss with a new-found hobby or activity. (for more on this – check out our TV show, Handle With Care on RLTV, which showcases seniors learning new technologies).
5. Do the math – add up your loved one’s car payments (if they still have them), car insurance, gas, tolls, parking fees, etc. that they spend in a year.   If you sell your loved one’s car – you can pool that money with saved costs and this becomes the “account” for securing alternative transportation.

On The Road Again

First thing to remember when your loved one stops driving is to alert the DMV that this person is no longer a licensed driver and return the license plates and get a receipt.

When it comes to searching for transportation services, they vary city by city.  Sometimes, transportation to and from doctor appointments may be covered under health insurance plans or even Medicaid.  But, more often than not, transportation and its costs are the responsibility of the senior and their family caregiver.

A great online resource, particularly for free or low-cost transportation services, is the National Center for Senior Transportation.  This site is administered by Easter Seals in coordination with the National Area Agencies on Aging (N4As) and offers great resources and links to local transportation providers.  In addition, the N4As has a brochure on finding door-through-door, paratransit, public transit, transportation vouchers and more.

One note – when researching and evaluating transportation services, know that some services are “curb-to-curb” only, others are “door-to-door” while the most convenient (and gives caregivers the most peace of mind) are the “door-through-door” services that ensure your loved one gets to and from their home and other destinations safely.

Following are a couple of additional local resources:

• Independent Transportation Network® (ITN) is a national non-profit for older Americans that seeks to replicate private auto ownership and mobility.  Begun in Maine in 1995, ITN has both paid and volunteer staff.   ITN offers 24/7 transportation with some added extras like carrying your packages, opening doors and offering a helping hand.  You are invoiced monthly and seniors can use their cars as trade-ins for the service.  Affiliates are located in more than a dozen cities nationwide.

• SilverRide – this is a terrific new trend called “lifestyle transportation.”  This service provides travel concierges – that don’t just drive your senior but “accompany” them and become a companion to their chosen destination whether that is the opera, a grandchild’s school or a shopping excursion.  The service keeps a personal profile, deals with billing and arranges travel and driver escorts who provide “door through door” service and are trained in Red Cross CPR techniques.  Voted “best business” by the American Society on Aging.  They also provide delivery services of prescriptions and other medical needs.  I really love this concept of “lifestyle transportation” and this company – the only drawback (if there is one) is that right now the service is limited to the San Francisco Bay Area.

On the road and on the go does not mean having to always be behind the wheel.  There are many ways to keep your older loved one mobile and feeling that their independence is not sacrificed while at the same time finding you alternatives to always being the chauffeur.