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Transportation Solutions for Caregivers: A Starting Point

Introduction

Caring for a loved one is often as challenging as it is rewarding and can affect both work and family life. Transportation can be especially taxing and time consuming. According to an AARP survey of family caregivers (1997), eight out of 10 caregivers reported helping with transportation. In a survey on  community transportation by AARP (1997), two thirds of non-drivers who were surveyed reported getting rides from family and friends to get where they need to go.

The difficulties encountered in the area of transportation, such as handling a wheelchair or other assistive device, agitation, and distracting behaviors, may cause some family caregivers to stop transporting their loved ones or only transport them for the most essential appointments. Over time, this can lead to frustration and eventually isolation for both family caregivers and their loved ones.

Family caregivers often rely on trial and error to solve their transportation challenges. This booklet and accompanying video provide tips and safe, creative solutions, devised by both family caregivers and professionals, that are designed to ease transportation challenges.

Although transporting an older loved one who requires physical assistance or has dementia can present a challenge, it doesn’t have to be a struggle. Often, caregivers must try multiple strategies and find that what works today, may not work tomorrow. However, there is almost always a solution and a way to make every car trip easier. Caregivers are also encouraged to seek out other people who are caring for older loved ones through local groups or online. Sometimes the best solutions to challenges are discovered through learning from each other’s experiences.

Read the Contents of the Transportation Solutions Toolkit

• Communication
• Sensitivity
• Preventing Agitation
• Dealing with Agitation
• Transportation Review
• Providing Physical Assistance
• Resources for Caregivers
  

*These documents are in the Adobe PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader in to view them. If you do not have Acrobat Reader, you can download it for free by clicking on the Adobe graphic below.

The National Center on Senior Transportation is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration and with guidance from the U.S. Administration on Aging. NCST is administered by Easter Seals Inc. in partnership with the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a).