The Best Way to Transport an Elderly Person Long Distance

Transporting the sick or elderly can be difficult. An elderly person is considered anyone over the age of 60, disabled, or has a medical need that leaves them unable to drive or take care of themselves. With limited mobility, caring for the elderly can be a feat of mental and physical strength. With the daily needs of caring for their hygiene, food preparation, maintaining a clean living space with the various doctor or personal appointments, it is easy for a caregiver to suffer from mental overload or caregiver burnout (see article here). Even helping an elderly person who is fragile in physical or medical needs in and out of a vehicle alone can be very difficult and time-consuming. If you have found yourself in a situation where the elderly person you are in the care of needs to travel either to a new home, or facility that is out-of-state what do you do?

Caregivers turn to their friends, family, and the internet to determine the best way to transport an elderly loved one long-distance. One would find several professional options for non-emergency medical transportation. These types of vehicles can range from cheap ground transports that may offer a gurney in an ambulatory van up to professional non-emergency medical vehicles with options that will provide many comforts from home in a safe environment with professional medical staff monitoring their health during the entire transport.

Many times, caregivers will try to cut costs and will attempt to transport their elderly loved ones alone and this can open possibilities of additional stressors for the caregiver and elderly loved one. A caregiver will be familiar with the needs of the elderly patient and may feel confident to attempt a transport alone but there could potentially be several concerns that arise before, during, and after traveling with their patient.

Some areas to consider before transporting an elderly person long distance:

If the elderly person has medical concerns or uses a wheelchair, many common vehicles are not equipped and may require special accommodations that the typical vehicle would not have available. Sitting for long periods can cause blood clots, lifting your elderly loved one in and out of a car safely, stopping at rest stops, remembering medications or checking insulin levels, overnight hotel stays – several scenarios could pose several situations that could end up badly and provide a higher unexpected cost to the caregiver and elderly patient.

Depending on the health and living situation, each family will need to decide to do what is best for their loved one but keep in mind that deciding to travel alone may appear to be less of a financial cost; however, in the chance that the elderly person has certain medical needs, the personal and unexpected costs for their safety and well-being begins to outweigh the guaranteed financial cost from a professional service.

What is the best way to transport an elderly patient long-distance?

There are two economical ways to travel long distances: by ground transportation or in-flight.

Depending on your budget and medical needs, ground transportation is a preferred way to travel due to if an emergency arises you could travel to the nearest hospital. However, the best way to transport a sick or elderly patient is through a non-emergency medical transportation company.

Each transportation company will offer different services so do your research!

Do not opt-in for a cheap transportation company, because you may end up with your loved one sitting on a gurney in an ambulatory van for multiple hours, which is very uncomfortable and an unpleasant way to travel a long distance.

One should look for a medical coach with adequate space, medical equipment for non-emergency needs, comfortable accommodations (such as a hospital-grade bed), a nurse or medical professional who’s the sole focus is to monitor the patient’s health, and professional drivers to make sure your loved one will reach their destination safely and efficiently.

Many times one does not consider the regular medical needs an elderly person may have and how to accommodate those needs on long-distance transport. Some areas to consider would be how traveling alone versus a professional company would handle some of the following areas:

• Driving Long Distance and Fatigue
• Medical needs
• Rest-Stops
• Food Preparations / Dietary Restrictions
• Sleeping Conditions 
• Overall Comfort 

Oceans Drive Transportation offers non-emergency long-distance medical transportation by ground in Omaha, Nebraska. 

Each Oceans Drive Transportation is medically-equipped for non-emergency transports. 

Call us today for a FREE Quote  +1 531-213-2211

Our transportation service is designed for anyone who has increased medical needs or limited mobility, including the elderly, disabled, or even those who are just needing a little assistance during their travel. Oceans Drive Transportation is dedicated to providing a safe, comfortable journey with each ground or in flight transport. Furthermore, our utmost priority is to make sure that your loved one will safely get to his or her destination.