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taz0921 Asked September 2019

I need someone to go with me to my doctor's appointments. Any suggestions?

I live alone, and only one living relative. I am looking for a service that will provide a person to go with me in a Share a ride Programs (STS) here in Miami, FLorida to and from my doctors appointment and be with me during the doctor's appointment, and then return with me via the STS Share a ride program. They need to come to my home 15 minutes before my scheduled ride pickup, come inside, and then then go with me to and from my Doctor's appointment, and since they are accompanying me, they will pay nothing for the STS share a ride both ways. This could take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours of total time, not counting the time to go back and forth from their home to my home, and then back to their home in their own car. This could be from 1 to 3 times a week to different doctors location in the Miami Dade County area. STS usually picks up the person between right on my pre-scheduled time, to as more as 1 hour late, and the same with the return ride. So for example, if I have a Doctor's appointment at 10 am, STS will pick me up at a time that their system believes that I need to be picked up at my home to get to the appointment about 30 minutes before my scheduled time. I then tell STS at what time to pick me up from the 10 am Doctors appointment to get back home, and that may be at 12 pm noon. STS usually picks me up within 1 hour of my scheduled go back home pickup time, but we may spend up to 2 or more hours in the STS car, since there could be up to 2 more people using the STS share a ride in the same car as we are in, so they drop off people based upon the my route back home, and if they are in a location before my home, they will be dropped off before me, until I am next on the drop off list. After I am dropped off, my assisted care rider can go home immediately after I am at my home residence. Are there any free or very low costs doing this by local, county, or State sponsored agencies or non-for-profit agencies that will do this? I know my Doctors appointments and times 7 to 10 days before the appointment.
I never have more than one doctors appointment a day, but some doctors are 15 miles away from my home residence, and other share a ride people are picked up and or dropped off on the way to my appointment, and the same going home back from my appointment.
So, for instance, if I have a 10 am appointment time, STS may tell me that my pickup time is between 8 and 8:30 am to be there on time. Then back home, I choose the pickup time, lets say it is 12 noon. Again STS will usually pick me up by 12:30 pm, and with other riders in the same care that are picked up and dropped off, I may not get home until 2:30 pm or even later, based upon traffic and how many other people are in route to my home, and will be dropped off or picked up while we are going back to my home residence.
I thank anyone for their input. Taz0921 or Stanley Z.

anonymous839718 Sep 2019
I don’t think you can expect someone to volunteer 8 hours to go on doctor’s appointments with you. Check Visiting Angels or hire another similar service.
taz0921 Sep 2019
Thank you for your advice and time. Stanley Z.
Geaton777 Sep 2019
Stanley, so sorry for your health issues...67 is young! At this point I think you need to find someone who is willing to be your durable PoA, as you age and your challenges increase. Health aside, you have time to really search for the right person, someone you think you can trust to respect and carry out your wishes as well as help you in the now. I would look for someone at least 15 to 20 years younger than you, local to you and same gender. If you do belong to a place of worship I would start there. You can have more than 1 PoA so that there are checks/balances in this important responsibility. This won't be easy but it is very necessary to have this plan in place. For now you could hire a reputable in-home service (I use Visiting Angels in FL for 2 aunts of mine). They love their companion caregiver and I don't know what I'd do without her... Also, there is such a thing as a professional PoA or Trust. Wishing you much luck in finding the right solutions!
taz0921 Sep 2019
Thank you for your advice and time. Stanley z.

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bolliveb123 Sep 2019
Too bad you are not close to me. This is exactly one of the services I plan to offer when I start my own business after I retire. Basically renting my time. I will offer personal services (I won't scrub your toilet but I'll find someone who will) and project management. Maybe you can find someone in Miami doing something similar.

My hometown uses volunteers to drive seniors to and from medical appointments. It is free to the user and the agency coordinating the service reimbursed the volunteer driver for mileage. Call your local Office of the Aging to see if they have any similar programs. Good luck and be well.
Geaton777 Sep 2019
Bolliveb123 you can get a certification as a Geriatric Advisor or Manager. This is a newer "career" and there aren't enough of them that are qualified. I know someone in MN who found one in FL to help find services and care for her mother. She said it was awesome. This was several years ago.
JoAnn29 Sep 2019
Do you belong to a Church. Maybe a member would be glad to help. See if Red Cross has volunteers that will do this. Call ur Office of Aging to see if they have resourses.

My question is, do you need all these doctors. Are you stable in some cases and your PCP can take over. I cut a couple of doctors out for Mom. It was just a yearly date with a Specilalist. Once her numbers were good, I felt her PCP could take over. If just follow ups, can the doctor spread the appts out. I found my Mom was asked to come back to her PCP every two months. Found the visits were really not follow ups to a problem so only took her when there was a problem.
taz0921 Sep 2019
I wish I could cut out some MD's, but I have something called Diffuse Osteoarthritis, and it is in virtually every joint in my upper body, S1 on up, and now it is lurking down into my right hip, and left foot. I have lost 4 inches in height (all spinal cartridge loss), and need specialists who are very adept in treating each area. My PCP is an internal Med Specialist, I have two pain Management MD's...One is for prescription pain control (Opiates and others), and the other is a Physiatrist, from the University of Miami Health Care System who is a full professor, MD, and the very tops in his field here in Miami. Then, there is my Podiatrist, who happens to be the Podiatrist to the Miami Heat ( Professional NBA Team), one of the top Arthritis Specialists in Miami who is from Italy, and brings with him medical knowledge and expertise from both side of the Pond, and a few other MD's who cannot believe that I can take the pain and a severely overloaded brain sending multiple kinds of endorphins to just about every part of my body also pushing back pain that is only getting worse, for a disease that has no cure. It's a great bunch of doctors who keep me going, and I need every single one of them to keep going.

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