Driving is a fundamental part of most of our lives. It gives us the ability to move freely around town, visit friends and family, and accomplish the things we need to get done. However, we can’t drive forever. There comes the point in a person’s life when it’s no longer safe for them to share the road with other motorists.
For older adults, making the decision to quit driving is tough. However, there are many resources you can utilize to make the process easier on yourself. Keep reading to get a closer look at why quitting driving doesn’t have to be difficult.
For many older adults, this is the most pressing question. It can be challenging to identify when the time has come for you to retire from the roads. Especially since it’s tough to accept that you’re no longer capable of doing something you’ve done for years.
One of the best ways to make this determination is to utilize this handy driving self-evaluation tool from AAA. Be honest with yourself while answering the questions, and you should be able to determine whether you’re capable of continuing driving or not.
Instead of quitting driving altogether, you may only need to adjust how you’ve been doing it. For example, you might need a new glasses prescription to ensure your vision is working properly while you drive. Or, maybe you could use a driving-focused health check-up to make sure you’re not putting yourself or other drivers at risk.
In today’s technology age, there are dozens of resources that older adults can use to get both around town and beyond it. One of the best resources is your family. However, they may not always be available to drive you where you need to go.
Many counties provide dedicated transportation resources for older adults. These can be a great way to get around while doing chores and visiting friends. Similarly, you may want to check with local senior centers to see if they offer any transportation services. With these options, you’ll also get the chance to socialize with other older adults.
If you’re looking for a more personalized transportation service, you may want to consider using apps like Lyft and GoGoGrandparent. Each of them functions essentially like a taxi that you hail from your phone. You can drive wherever you want with these options, but you will have to pay a bit more to use them.
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Your Medicare health insurance may be able to cover the trips you take to the doctor’s office. Medicare Part A and Part B don’t cover routine healthcare transportation. However, they may cover non-emergency ambulance transportation to and from a doctor’s office if traveling another way would endanger your health.
Older adults with Medicare Advantage plans have more medical transportation options to choose from. Your plan may cover non-emergency doctor’s office transportation. However, it will likely only do so for doctor’s offices that are pre-approved.
Want to learn whether your Medicare health insurance covers any type of transportation? If so, consider reaching out to one of Time for 65’s partnered licensed agents. They’re standing by to answer your questions and offer Medicare advice. You can reach them by filling out this form or giving us a call.
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