Should you or your elderly loved one stop driving? If so, how will you travel to the doctor and the grocery store and stay connected to the people and activities that you love? This article will discuss your options in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The Decision to Stop Driving
Here are a list of articles that will help you determine if it is time to arrange for an alternate mode of transportation for your loved one:
- How to Find Out if Your Elderly Parent is Safe to Drive in Virginia
- What To Do When Your Elderly Parent Needs To Stop Driving
- How Driving Skills Are Assessed For The Elderly
- Can My Loved One Improve Their Driving Skills And/Or Get Back Their License?
- How To Talk To Your Elderly Parents About Driving
- The Process Of Reporting An Unsafe Elderly Driver
- Life After Driving
- What If My Parent Forgets They Can’t Drive?
If your loved one is no longer safe to drive, they will need options to keep them mobile and connected to the life they love.
Transportation Options
There are several modes of transportation available to seniors.
1) Public Bus Transportation – Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT)
If your elderly loved one is able to walk to the bus stop and learn the transit system, teach them how to use the bus maps and check the schedules. Go with them on their first ride to someplace they frequent often, like the library or a coffee shop. Make a day of it, so that they can familiarize themselves with the route and spend time with you in the process.
Reduced fares are available to Charlottesville citizens, 65 and older. Karen Davis of JAUNT explains in the video below how you can retrieve a reduced-fare pass.
Or, you can click here to visit CAT’s Web page.
2) Door to Door Service – JAUNT
JAUNT is a low-cost, scheduled service that provides “door to door” transportation for their passengers. They will arrive at the scheduled time outside, pick up their passenger – all of the drivers are helpful and considerate of the elderly and nearly all vehicles are wheelchair accessible, drive to anywhere in the city and drop their happy clients off. Many of Care is There’s clients have provided positive feedback about JAUNT, some claiming they would prefer it over accepting rides with friends.
For information about JAUNT, call (434) 296-3184. For an overview of JAUNT services and for an an in-depth explanation on how to ride the Jaunt bus, watch the videos below.
3) Companion Agencies – Click here for a list of local providers
Even if your loved one isn’t at the stage where they need companion care for any length of time, you can still hire a companion agency to provide easy and accessible transportation for them. Many of the agencies on the list above will gladly accompany your loved one on appointments, shopping trips and other day-to-day activities.
4) Private Providers
As Karen mentions in the first video above, private providers are viable options for senior transportation. These providers may not be trained specifically in transporting and caring for the elderly, so if your loved one has a chronic condition, mobility issues, vision or hearing issues, memory loss or another other illness, consider using a more specialized option.
The list Karen provides in the video is as follows:
- Taxis
- Accessible Taxis
- Church buses
- Private Residential Facilities
- Nonprofits – like WorkSource Enterprises
- UVA Shuttles (Northridge)
- Senior Businesses
If you have any questions or are looking for transportation options that will fit with your loved one’s schedule (and personality!), Care is There can help. Contact us for more information.
For more articles like this, see: Long Distance Caregiving, Resources for Central Virginia, Aging in Place, Care for the Caregiver, Seniors and Driving.
Know someone who worries about their elderly parent in Charlottesville, Staunton, or Harrisonburg Virginia? Care is There Geriatric Care Management can help! Have them contact us for a free consultation: 434.326.5323 or info@careisthere.com.
For more information about our services, and to read testimonials from our clients, visit our website. Also, view this short video about our care management services.
Elizabeth Swider, Geriatric Care Manager, Certified Senior Advisor
President, Care is There Geriatric Care Management
Support for independent living and long distance caregiving; assisted living enhancement
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