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It's got to the stage where I need to have 'that talk' to my dad about driving! 🙂
The only problem is both my parents have loyalty cards with the doctors and hospital and seem to have an appointment of some sort every week. Now the odd one I could take them too but the frequency means I'd soon be out of a job if I tried to take time off for every one.
So - do taxi firms wait while people have routine appointments?
I know there'd be a cost, but they currently run a new car so if they got rid of that they could cover that.
I know that having a driver waiting seems a cock-eyed way of doing it and most folk would just get a different taxi outside the hospital, but to my parents taxi-drivers are mad axe-men who will drive them down a country lane, rob and murder them! 🙂
So if they got a local company they could trust it would be a start.
Worth checking the Age UK site for anything in the area. Also services like Driving Miss Daisy which are tailored towards a certain demographic - presumably more costly than a normal taxi but may offer the flexibility you want.
My folks have taken to this, after my dad gave up his license last year (after putting my mum in hospital for three days in a car accident...)
They found a local taxi guy who's dependable, and use him. They are lucky enough with bus services that they generally get a taxi there, so there's no worry about getting there on time, and can then get the bus home.
So if they got a local company they could trust it would be a start.
This, basically, ask around locally for recommendations. For most local taxi firms, this kind of thing plus school runs is their bread and butter during the day.
It obviously depends on your local geography.
There’s always taxis milling around the hospitals here. IME it’s rare to wait any length of time for one after requesting it. So no, most times you wouldn’t ask the driver to wait, you’d just order a different one for the return.
Usually you can book the taxi in advance for appointments. The ones we use are reliable but not infallible - occasionally they simply don’t show up but it’s probably a 1 in 20 fail rate here.
They have online booking portals too so you could book it for them if they can’t handle it.
Ask Age UK, volunteer groups offer a community transport service. My mum uses them regularly, cheaper too
Does it have to be a taxi? Is there any public transport available (surely most hospitals are on/close to bus routes)? Does the hospital have a community bus?
Also have you checked the hospital website? Often they have information about travel options.
No easy public transport. They live in a village twenty miles from the hospital and buses aren't frequent. They'd also need at least 3 buses to make the trip.
Village Bus to nearest main town > main town to city bus station > bus station to hospital.
most hospitals are on/close to bus routes)?
Most hospitals are.
Most patients are not. 🤷♂️
Where are they? My dad is a taxi driver and does a lot of hospital runs for people around Dunblane. It can be a bit of a nightmare if the appointments are disrupted and delayed and he has other hires lined up, but generally if people are ok with paying for his time then he will do the hires. He’s even done them all the way to specialists in Glasgow. Reeve’s Taxis if it’s local.
In-laws in similar situation in rural East Renfrewshire. They found a decent local taxi driver to rely on plus various patient bus services which trundle around. FIL just takes the paper with him and does whatever waiting about is needed to get those lifts.
My mum does the same now, she can still drive, but the hassle of going into the "big city" (Bristol) then paying for parking for an indeterminate time (massive shortage of staff at the moment, hmmm, wonder what caused that.) Then getting home again, especially as the tests and treatments she has sometimes leave her lacking in a bit of confidence to drive afterwards.
So instead of ~15 quid to drive and park, she pays ~25 and doesn't have to worry about anything.
I'll be showing this to my in-laws who live up a hill in a tiny village and depend on the car for everything.
Unfortunately human nature means you put off moving to a convenient location for being old (bus routes, Drs, local shops etc) until it's too late.
The 2 hospitals I've been to recently had free phones direct to local companies. I had to wait 10 minutes last week. Not bad considering it was 3am.
Obviously they have no control on which taxi turns up, but must be licensed etc (if that means anything).
A car less friend of mine set up an account of sorts with the local taxi firm for school runs... Might not be suitable but just a thought for regular trips... I think he just settled up once a month or something. The taxi firm didn't mind as it's regular guaranteed work for them, and I think he managed to wrangle a slightly cheaper rate, rather than strictly on the meter.
Unfortunately human nature means you put off moving to a convenient location for being old (bus routes, Drs, local shops etc) until it’s too late.
And that's another family gripe! They're stuck in a big 4 double bed house which they can't look after properly when they should have moved 10 years ago. And they've not needed x4 double beds for 30 years since we all left home! 🙂
...then there's the sister who lives 2 hours away, but is always full of good ideas which the wife and I could do!
...and as for unemployed brother who could easily help out and lives in the same village but won't have anything to do with them (due to his witch of a wife) - well!
Families eh! 🤷♂️
Have a look at community cars or similar in your area. My grandma used them a lot when she was around as cheaper than taxis and the drivers were more amenable to loading and unloading luggage than taxi drivers were. They use volunteer drivers who have been vetted. My dad now volunteers for them 1 day a week taking people to health appointments etc.
Our local hospital has a patient driver service- not sure if it’s free or not, but volunteers pick up & take people home. The in-laws use it since the father in law stopped driving
I'm often on reception booking in and making appointments at local clinics.
Just ask, if other options aren't available we'll happily phone a trusted taxi firm and make sure that the driver knows exactly where the patient needs to go.
The firm we use are geared up for this, they'll pop into the clinic and carry bags, see if patients need to pick up a bit of shopping or visit the chemist to pick up prescriptions on the way home and make sure they're safely delivered to their destination.
All of my hospital appointment letters explicitly ask if the patient needs transport to the hospital with a contact to organise this. Check the appointment letters for this before going mad on taxi fares. (I live in a large town with a hospital if the journey is in from a remote village this may not be an option).
Not all old people are so stupid, selfish and thoughtless as to trap themselves in wholly unsuitable housing as they age, demanding unsustainable levels of support from their relatives and the community.
Many of us are (will be), but we can try to avoid it.
Thanks for all the replies - seems there could be a few options!
For my grandfather we found a local firm/guy who invoiced us monthly. Guy even came to his funeral.
My parents and me (when I was home) would still give him lifts but too the pressure off quite a lot.