Transportation needs and options change over time, and there are more choices than ever for yourself or a loved one who doesn’t drive. At some point, your parents may not be able to safely drive themselves to where they need to go and you may not be available to be their only ride. Taking away the keys to their vehicle can be a difficult conversation to have, but bringing your research into the alternatives for them can help to ease them into this life transition.

When a senior needs a ride, they often also need help with other daily activities too. Consider these scenarios:

• A person has an appointment with a physical therapist as they recover from a surgery or other injury. A taxi or ride share service such as Uber can pick them up at an appointed time, but how are they going to get ready for this ride if they are injured or healing? A professionally-trained caregiver can arrive prior to the departure time to assist with bathing (or showering), dressing, meal preparation, and medication reminders. They can also accompany this individual to their appointment to get important care notes and then return them safely home after the physical therapy.

• An elder who needs to go to the grocery store has choices: they can shop online and schedule delivery or take the bus or hire a ride. However, think about all of the other tasks associated with this basic need to buy food: do they have reliable computer access to shop online? Are they comfortable with a delivery person? For many people, there is joy and meaning in going out to shop for their own items so assuming they want to go in person to shop, how do they get the groceries home and put away? A caregiver can assist with meal planning and food preparation as well as be a companion to dine with.

• Time with friends is important in life and being able to sit in the park, play cards, meet for a swim lesson, or other favorite activity can have excellent mental health benefits. Just getting dropped off at a pool, park, or friend’s home is okay, but having a caregiver join you can bring new energy and fun as well as not having to rely on friends for things like getting an assistive device such as a wheelchair in and out of the car.

When someone moves into a facility but still likes to get out to go to church, see a hairdresser, or other familiar engagements, they will need a ride. Typically, these rides require advance reservations and planning and there is limited staff available to drive residents from place to place if there are multiple requests from the many residents on site.

Private professional caregivers can provide additional care to those who don’t live completely independently with many of the same services to someone who lives in a private home. A caregiver can provide transportation for seniors who live in a facility and are clients of the agency for other reasons, including assistance with bathing and grooming.

It is common to have overlap in long-term care services like this, with in-home care and facility-based care working alongside one another to prevent any gaps in care for an individual.