You can’t get well and stay as well as possible if you can’t make your appointments with your doctor. Non-emergency medical transportation is available for people of all ages who have mobility challenges need to get to and from essential medical care.
Non-emergency medical transportation covers a wide range of common events:
- Previously scheduled trips to and from doctors, therapists, and rehabilitation sessions.
- Non-emergency trips from your home to a hospital for in-patient treatment, and trips back to your home from an in-patient treatment center when you are dismissed.
- Trips from your home to a long-term care facility, and trips back home when you are dismissed.
- Regular trips to and from dialysis centers.
- Regular trips to and from wound care.
- Regular trips to and from prosthetic services.
- Regular trips to and from adult care facilities.
- In some cases, trips to and from the pharmacy to pick up any regulated medications.
People who need non-emergency medical transportation often prefer to have a spouse, family member, or friend come along. They may be used to making the drive themselves, but their care needs eventually outweigh their ability to travel alone or even with help from home.
The ability to get to and from the doctor is almost as important as the medical care you receive when you get to your appointments.
“Health and well-being are inextricably linked to the social and economic conditions in which people live,” a study by the American Hospital Association found. “Research has shown that only 20 percent of health can be attributed to medical care, while social and economic factors—like access to healthy food, decent housing, the ability to understand directions, and access to transportation—account for 40 percent.”
Residents of Washington State who are on Medicaid often can access non-emergency medical transportation with no out-of-pocket cost. Medicare patients usually have coverage for non-emergency medical transportation when they are traveling from one care facility t another.
But some people who need non-emergency medical transportation need to shop around for the best price and the most comfort.
Here’s what you can expect from a professional transport company:
- Unlike ambulances, non-emergency medical transportation vehicles are set up for comfort. There will be plenty of room to lie down for patients who can’t sit up for the entire trip. There will be room for a spouse or family member to ride along without feeling cramped. There will be great climate control and there will be clean windows for a view of the scenery along the way.
- Most companies can make provisions for urgent bathroom visits en route. There may be a bedside commode with a privacy screen or other accommodations.
- Many non-emergency medical transportation clients won’t need a medic or a nurse for a trip of fewer than 200 miles. But any level of medical attention can be scheduled before the trip.
- The vehicles are designed for smooth operation, minimizing the effects of inclines and rough roads, and employ skilled drivers who avoid sudden stops and tight turns.
What kinds of drivers do non-emergency medical transport companies hire for long-distance elder transportation?
These drivers pay close attention to the individual needs of our customers. Customers typically say that they really appreciate the way their drivers pay attention to the climate in the vehicle itself.
That’s important because a lot of these riders are sensitive to certain conditions, typically extreme cold or heat. And it bears repeating that these vehicles can accommodate whatever conveyance our riders need, whether it is a wheelchair, oversized wheelchair, gurney, stretcher, or cot.
Additionally, these transport companies provide an alert, attentive, and trained drivers for every elderly rider.
They should look to provide the best service by understanding their riders’ needs. A company that understands most riders will have a sensitivity to sitting for long periods and will need frequent bathroom breaks therefore they look to prepare the schedule ahead of time with that in mind, to still get the passenger to their destination on time will provide patients with the best experience.
This is especially important when transporting an elderly passenger to a doctor’s appointment that requires a timely arrival.
Around the Sound provides more than medical transportation. They can also arrange elder transportation for special events, like weddings, anniversaries, and reunions. They can help people who have mobility issues stay active by taking them to the places that mean the most to them.
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