A transport service is a handoff. You are giving a stranger your wife for the length of a trip, and you need to know exactly how she gets into the vehicle, how she rides, and how she gets back to the door. Compare services on those points, not on how friendly the phone call sounded.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

Decide what kind of ride she needs

Ask her doctor or the discharge team what kind of vehicle is appropriate for her current transfers. A standard car, a wheelchair van, and a stretcher-capable transport are different services with different crews and different prices. Write the answer on the handoff sheet so the booking matches what she can do on the day.

Five things to ask in writing

Does the crew lift her, or only move her wheelchair?
Do they bring a ramp or lift, and does it fit the entry at our house?
Are wheelchairs and seats secured in the vehicle, and is that checked before each ride?
How many minutes of waiting are free, and what is billed after that?
What happens if the appointment runs late or ends early, and who calls you?

Ask about the trip, not only the pickup

Ask whether a crew member will stay with her in the waiting room or at the clinic, and whether you can ride along if she needs you. Ask what happens if she needs a bathroom stop or has to wait for a return ride. Ask who meets the vehicle at the door when it arrives. If nobody on your side is at home, write that name on the sheet and tell the service.

Test with one trip

Book one short trip to a place you already know, such as a pharmacy or a doctor's office you visit often. Time the door-to-door minutes, watch how the crew handles the ramp and the chair, and check the paperwork they hand you. The paperwork should state the pickup window and the wait rule. If it does not, ask for it before the next trip.

Red flags

Be careful with a service that will not put the pickup window or the wait rule in writing, that cannot tell you who will lift her, or that pushes you to sign a multi-ride package before you have seen one trip go well. A good service will answer these questions plainly.

Compare two services with the same sheet

Use the same five questions for each service and keep the answers on one page. Put the winner's name, phone number, and the return plan on the day sheet for the appointment day. Local options and help in comparing them are on Local Help for Husband Caregivers.

Judging a Medical Transport Service Before the Ride