When talking with an older road user about their transportation needs, it is helpful to lay out their typical day, week, or month of activities. The Plan for the Road Ahead transportation planning tool can help. This tool allows you to identify such activities as trips to the grocery store, hair salon/barber shop, shopping, movies/entertainment, exercise/gym, and social events. Once this list is prepared, you can talk with the older driver about transportation options for maintaining their schedule. These options might include carpooling with family or friends when going to movies, entertainment, or social events as well as using public transportation or transportation services to go to grocery stores, the hair salon/barber shop, or other activities. For some errands, such as filling prescriptions and grocery shopping, you may want to consider online and delivery services.
Some communities provide transportation services that are sponsored by community or volunteer organizations. Learn about services in your community through the Eldercare Locator. Other options might be fee-for-service, such as ridesharing or taxi services.
After identifying transportation needs, the ChORUS Transportation Budgeting Tool calculates current and future transportation costs for planning purposes. Current costs might include car payments, insurance, gas, and maintenance. This will help demonstrate whether there are additional costs—or even savings—as the older road user evolves to less driving. This plan also identifies opportunities for the individual to begin to learn how to use services they haven’t used before.