Before You Book Rides to Her Appointments, Check the Vehicle, the Wait Window, and Who Rides Along

Appointment rides look simple until she is in the chair at the curb and the driver is ten minutes late. Before you book a service for any regular visit, decide what you need the ride to do, then ask every service the same questions and write down the answers. Comparing the answers is the job. Do not pick on the sound of the phone call.

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.

The vehicle and the transfer

Ask what kind of vehicle they send for a wheelchair. Ask whether it has a lift or a ramp, and how the chair is secured. Ask how many securing points they use and whether the driver does that alone. Ask the step height and whether it changes for her chair. Ask whether she can ride in her own chair or must transfer to a seat in the vehicle. That answer decides whether you need to be there, so get it in writing.

The pickup and the wait

Ask whether the driver comes to the door or waits at the curb. Ask for the pickup window and what counts as late. Ask what happens if they are late for the return trip, since that is the one you will be standing in the clinic lobby for. Ask how long the driver waits at the clinic before they leave, and whether they will wait longer if the visit runs over.

Who rides along

Ask whether a companion can ride, and whether that costs extra. Ask whether a second person can ride without a separate booking. If you cannot ride along, ask whether the driver can help her with the clinic door and check her in at the desk. Write down exactly what the driver will and will not do inside the building.

Cancellations and paperwork

Ask what the cancellation rule is, how many hours' notice counts, and whether a no-show is charged. Ask who pays for a trip that is canceled by the clinic. Ask what paperwork the clinic and the service need from you before the first ride, and whether you need her physician to sign anything. For questions about whether any ride is covered by her health plan, ask her plan directly and get the answer in writing. Do not take the service's word on coverage, and do not take ours either.

How to compare two or three services

Put the same questions on one sheet, one column per service. Mark each answer as given, unclear, or no. Any column with more than two unclear answers is not ready to book. Ask for a sample pickup window in writing, not as a verbal promise. If a service will not put the rules in an email or on a printed sheet, cross it off.

If you need help finding local ride options or someone to ride along, the resources on Local Help for Husband Caregivers list places to start. Check every listing yourself before you rely on it.