Need a lift?

News — 01 November 2011

By Chris Marchand

The Dryden branch of the Canadian Red Cross is hoping to increase awareness of a local service to help seniors attend medical appointments near and afar.

Staffed by a network of volunteer drivers, the Red Cross Transportation program emerged in 2008 as a part of the Mayor’s Committee Aging Friendly Strategy.

It allows area seniors an affordable transportation option, charging $4.50 for a one way ride in the immediate Dryden area, $7.75 one way for rural areas beyond five kilometres, and under $20 each way for transportation to Thunder Bay.

Red Cross Community Services Co-ordinator Carol Peterson says the LHIN-funded program is unique in the province, tailored to meet the specific needs of local seniors.

But, it’s been challenging to get the word out to those who might benefit the most from this service.

“I’m finding that with this program, until you’re in a situation where you need the help, you hear about it but it doesn’t really sink in because it might not be pertinent to what’s happening in your life,” said Peterson. “We’ve tried various venues to get the message out. It’s an ongoing thing. To start something from the ground up and promote it takes time.”

Peterson says someone headed for the Dryden airport to catch a flight to a medical appointment in Thunder Bay could pay as much as $30 round trip through a taxi service, a fee that would be approximately half as much through the Red Cross.

Currently, the service can only operate within Ontario.

Peterson says that the unpaid volunteer drivers with the Red Cross Transportation program have more flexibility in scheduling and the support they can provide during a trip to Thunder Bay. The service can operate 24/7 if necessary to ensure patients get to where they need to go.

“The scheduling for the bus and the train (in Sioux Lookout) is not ideal for seniors,” said Peterson. “It surprises me how many seniors in this community have no family here. They’re on their own. Our drivers are amazing — they’ll make sure they get to the hospital, walk in with them and make sure they get to where they need to be that they’re taken care of.”

Peterson says that the program also supports family caregivers who might not be able to leave work in order to drive a loved one to a medical appointment.

“Independence is really important to seniors,” says Peterson. “One of my clients says, ‘I don’t want to phone my daughter, she’ll take time off work and I want to be able to go on my own. There are all kinds of different factors that bring clients to us.”

For more information, to book a ride, or to inquire about volunteering for the Red Cross Transportation program, call the Dryden Branch of the Red Cross at 223-4751.

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About Author

chrismarchand

Chris Marchand is a native of Dryden, Ontario. He served his first newspaper internship at The Dryden Observer in 1998 while attending journalism studies at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops B.C. He's worked desks as both reporter and editor at the Fernie Free Press as well as filled the role of sports editor at the Cranbrook Daily Townsman. Marchand was named editor of the Dryden Observer in Aug. 2009.