Nothing may bring on a greater sense of fear in a senior citizen than when it’s time to go to the DMV and renew their drivers license. My dad starts worrying a year in advance. In preparation he reads the manual a few times, visits the DMV office to try to memorize the eye chart, practices his skill at getting on and off the freeway, and mentions the deadline date on every visit.
Dad’s fear of losing his license is shared by many, many seniors. A car not only represents independence; it is often a neccesity. They depend on driving to get to doctor’s appointments, buy food, and visit with family and friends.
But what happens when they can no longer drive? Like me, many children with elderly parents work full time and can’t afford to take a day off to visit the doctor, get to the lab, and pick up new medications. Public transportation is often inconvenient. Taxi cabs expensive. Friends and spouses may have significant driving restrictions.
It’s a big problem, one that is growing larger every day. We like to imagine a daywhen transportation could be scheduled along with a medical appointment through an eHealth platform. Pick-up, delivery, and time details would already be available. And confirmation emails, and reminders could easily be sent. Most of the pieces are available today, they just need to be connected together with local driving services.
Our friend from the UK, Peter Kruger, covers the challenge of transport for seniors in detail in his latest report, “When You Get Old and Lose Your Car“. More excellent information about aging is avaliable on Peter’s website, www.alphadaughters.com.
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