Senior Transport Services and Rides – The Demand for Senior Transportation
Have you seen one of your aging patient’s driving skills decline in recent memory? Well, if so you’re not alone. Everyday more and more seniors stop driving in the United States. While your patients quits driving, they also want to be able to remain in their own home. However, seniors in the United States currently face the issue of little outside transportation. This results in our current senior population to be “aging in place” which ultimately affects your patients and their families. Since aging reduces your patient’s ability to travel, often they rely on someone else to provide them with transportation. With the senior population expected to double by the year 2050, we can expect to see more and more seniors face this problem with transportation.
Demand for Affordable Senior Transport Services and Rides
Seniors Not Driving
Your aging patient is one of 49.2 million seniors in the United States. If your patient is like 80 percent of the senior population then they probably live outside of city limits. Being outside of the city restricts the amount of public transportation that your patient has access to. Since your patients may be part of 21 percent of the senior population that does not drive due to their age then little public transportation can make it hard for you and your patient.
Higher Risk of Driving
A major issue for your patient and other seniors is the rate that they drive at. Driving rates fall from 88 percent to 69 percent for people between the ages of 65 and 75. Even though your patient may still be able to provide transportation for themselves, the risk of them driving increases. The amount of deaths per 100 million miles traveled quickly rises for anyone who is over the age of 65.
Public Transportation
With the dangers of driving rising, your patient may feel public transportation is important to them. In fact, around 21 percent of seniors feel that being near public transportation is important. While your patient may find public transit important, it’s not guarantee that they live in area that provides enough of it. Around 11.5 million seniors live in areas that provide poor or little public transportation or other ways to move for seniors.
Who is to Provide Affordable Senior Transport Services and Rides?
Public Transit
Your patient and many other seniors tend to stop driving once they reach 65. This forces your patient to rely on cities and townships to provide public transportation for them. Many seniors take advantage of public transportation when they have the chance. In fact, seniors who have access to public transportation account for 12 percent of all trips. Seniors who use public transportation make about 310 million trips per year. Since your patient and many over seniors no longer drive, public transportation becomes their only way to get from place to place. A survey done by AARP showed that 14 percent of seniors relied on public transportation as their primary means of transportation.
Care Providers
However, your patient may be like the rest of the senior population that does not drive or use public transportation. Which means that they rely on a family member or a caregiver to provide them with transportation. While family may not mind providing care and services for your patient, it may become time consuming. In this case, you may recommend turning to a care provider to help with your patient’s transportation. Most care providers make life more convenient for everyone involved, especially when it comes to transportation. On average, 78 percent of care providers are able to help seniors with their transportation needs. Some these care providers set up outside transportation for your patient. In fact, 31 percent provide transportation through outside sources such as public transportation. The other 47 percent of care providers can assist your patient with their mobility needs using their own vehicle.
National Averages
Car Owners
With all these statistics you might wonder about what the national averages look like. You and many in your community may be part of the 88 percent of Americans who own some form of vehicle. Around 14 percent of vehicle owners drive motorcycles or bikes. While a younger adult can use a motorcycle or bike as transportation, your patient and other seniors are unable to ride on these types of vehicles. Since 14 percent of drivers own motorcycles, this brings the amount of Americans who own cars down to 74 percent. This 74 percent are people who would be able to provide your patient with suitable transportation.
Care Providers
Many adults feel a care provider is a good choice for their loved one. So, you may want to know some statistics on care providers ability to travel. You should know the average amount of time care providers travel when looking for the right care provider. Most care providers are willing to travel around 20 minutes or less to care for seniors. Since your patient and most seniors live outside of cities, travel times are slightly longer. You could expect the average speed limit to get to your patient is around 40 miles per hour. This means most care providers would be able to travel around 10 to 15 miles in 20 minutes to care for your patient.