Getting around after the car keys

Medical transport

Medical appointments are the non-negotiable trips, and they have the most dedicated options. Many Medicare Advantage plans now include a yearly allowance of non-emergency medical transportation rides — check the plan before paying for anything. Medicaid covers non-emergency medical transport in every state for eligible members. Beyond insurance, hospital systems and dialysis and oncology centers often run their own shuttles, and the paratransit service attached to a region's public transit (available even in many suburbs) provides door-to-door lift-equipped rides for riders who qualify under the ADA.

Everyday errands

For groceries, pharmacy runs, and haircuts, the workhorses are volunteer driver networks (often run by churches, councils on aging, and nonprofits like ITN affiliates — the local Area Agency on Aging keeps the list), county senior transportation vans that run scheduled shopping routes, and subsidized taxi voucher programs many cities quietly offer. Rideshare works well with two adaptations: GoGoGrandparent and similar services let seniors book Uber and Lyft by regular phone call — no app — and family can schedule and track rides remotely from their own accounts.

The walkability audit

Every trip that becomes a walk is a trip that never needs arranging. Walk the routes to the nearest pharmacy, grocery, coffee shop, and place of worship and audit them like a contractor: broken sidewalk sections, crossings without signals or with short timers, stretches without benches or shade. Report hazards to the city's public works department — sidewalk repairs are routine requests — and consider a rollator with a built-in seat for routes that are almost, but not quite, comfortable.

Planning the driving retirement

The transition works best staged, not sudden: first no night driving, then no highways, then defined local routes only, with alternatives tested at each stage while the person can still drive as backup. Occupational-therapist driving evaluations (search "driver rehabilitation specialist") give families an objective third-party assessment, which keeps the conversation about safety data instead of trust.