Insights from The Orlando Senior Help Desk: Transportation issues

Hiring a Driver

The instinct for many older people is to stay at home as long as possible. Even if a person at home has visitors, he or she may still be alone most of the time, especially if he or she no longer drives.

One option is to hire a companion care company to facilitate transportation needs. Another option is to contact Go Go Grandparent, 855-464-6872 (an Uber service geared toward the elderly). Jewish Family Services, 407-644-7593 offers the RIDE program for medical appointments, etc.

There are also public transportation options such as Send a Ride, 800-731-1885; LYNX buses and vehicles, 407-254-6025; Common Courtesy, 407-702-1133; Annette Kelly with Neighbors Network, 407-620-8556; Senior Intervention Network, 407-790-1948; and Community Connections, 407- 706-9494.

Private companies also transport seniors — Comfort Care Transportation, 321-804-5233; Florida Medical Transport, 407-260-1230; Trans Medcare, 888-984-3722, etc.

When seniors need handicap accessible vehicles for rent or purchase , they can contact the Ability Center, 407-751-4158.

Costs of hiring vs. Living in an Elder-Care Community

The cost of hiring a driver on top of living expenses may amount to more than the cost of senior living. Reliance on others when you want to go someplace may be quite challenging. When someone makes the move to a senior community, he or she will be offered scheduled bus trips to the supermarket, bank convenience stores, and for fun outings like theatre and restaurant trips. The residents also receive transportation, usually in a car or van to local appointments for beauty appointments and medical visits. Many senior communities offer concierge services to schedule medical appointments so that the resident has seamless transportation.

Driving Cessation — When to Give Up the Car Keys

There are certain signals that might mean it is time to give up the car keys. Unfortunately, very few seniors pay attention to these signs:

• nervous behind the wheel

• Reactions are too slow due to vision changes

• Have trouble reading street signs

• Having a near mishap by not seeing a pedestrian, an object or another vehicle.

• Getting lost easily

• Decreased hearing

Your legs no longer work perfectly

We suggest you start talking about these issues with your parents as early as possible. You may want to make a deal with them such as this is the last car we will purchase, and when the car dies, we agree that your driving days are over.

In the optimum situation, an adult child can ask the parent’s physician to discuss driving with their loved one. This generation of older adults has tremendous respect for doctors and often listen to doctors more than their own children. The doctor may suggest that a senior retake the driving test. He or she may be better able to explain the risks and provide alternatives.

There are less optimal ways to stop your parents from driving such as having a relative “borrow the car”, hide or “lose” the car keys, take the car for repair and not bring it back, disable the car or anonymously report your parent to the DNV. While these may work, I cannot ethically recommend them.