Elderly patients are at higher risk when they have difficulty getting to and from the doctor. Those elderly patients that live outside of skilled nursing or assisted living facilities should be seeing their primary care physician on a regular basis to monitor everything from blood pressure to bone density. Often, it is a lack of transportation which keeps elderly patients from maintaining a consistent regimen of medical screening. The absence of regular medical attention in the life of an elderly patient can lead to a steady decline in the patient’s well-being. Fortunately, in most regions of the country, elderly patients can benefit from programs intended either to bring nurses to a patient’s location or provide transportation for the patient to medical facilities.
Complementing many transportation services functioning in an effort to promote wellness are services for grocery store trips. Elderly patients who do not have regular access to grocery stores or the pharmacy are less likely to maintain a nutritional diet and vital prescription therapies.
The options for communication for elderly patients vary from community to community, though some national organizations attempt to provide uniform services through their company’s locations. The types of transportation commonly available to elderly patients are door-to-door trips, fixed route and schedule services and ride sharing programs. Door-to-door trips are the most flexible from a scheduling standpoint and offer a maximum of convenience for the elderly patient. Similarly, ride-sharing groups set up by many churches and community organizations will generally cater to changes in an individual’s schedule based on availability. Reservations are usually mandatory for ride-sharing programs and door-to-door service, something not necessary with a fixed route option. Additionally, door-to-door fees usually run higher than those of the other two, with fixed route selections being the cheapest.
Fixed route and schedule options might not be ideal for many, because they do not cater to individual destinations or schedules. Most fixed route choices offer discounts for seniors, a benefit for those on a tight budget. It is not uncommon for communities to have funding for elderly transportation, affording riders the benefit of regular trips to the doctor and store at little to no cost. Volunteer programs for transportation are some of the most prevalent offered by churches and associations promoting care of the infirm and elderly.
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