Hi-Tech and Hi-Touch Transportation System for Elders

One Company's Goal to Offer Quality Transportation to the Senior Community

Offering an affordable, accessible and high quality transportation system for the senior community is the goal of Cleveland based company, Senior Transportation Connection. For over 10 years, STC has been helping seniors in the Cuyahoga County and Cleveland area get around the city in the quickest and easiest way while offering a personal touch not experienced by public transportation.

Janice Zeigel, of STC, says that their transportation services can take seniors wherever they need to, from medical appointments and senior centers to grocery stores and hairdressers. Janice says “One of the most difficult decisions someone can make is giving up the car. We exist to make that an easier process for older adults.”

Making the decision to give up driving is a tough one that many people don’t like to make. A recent AARP study shows that men will out-live their driving age by 8 years, and women by 10. Janice explains, “There are many reasons older adults may need to give up driving, it may be as simple as arthritis that limits the range of motion in your neck. There’s also limitations in older adults being able to use public transportation, growing up in the Cleveland area we drive, we dont extensively use public transportation. It’s a difficult transition to make if you stop driving to think you can just start using public transportation.”

Janice says that there service is different than what you would get with public transportation. “We are very customer focused, our drivers are well trained and they provide as much physical assistant as an individual may need, whether it’s boarding the bus or carrying the grocery bags.” STC makes an effort to not only provide a high quality ride and assistance on the bus, but also behind the scenes. STC has a sophisticated program that their reps use that remembers names, the last five locations an individual has traveled to and a system that calculates the fastest routes to make sure they arrive at appointments on time.

Helping Your Family Stay Safe

Something that STC offers that you won’t get anywhere else is a safety net system they have in place with their drivers. “The Hi-Touch part of the service is that driver the high level physical assistance as well as taking note of that individual's condition that day. We have a responsibility to report things if we know them. We have connections in the community, if our driver notices something with an individual that may not be quite right we always ensure there is a follow-up.”

Janice says that there a number of signs you can look for to see if someone you know may not be in the condition to drive anymore. If you get in the car with this person, a big sign is if they are only making right turns or if they are decreasing the radius that they will drive. Other things to look for are if the person’s car has scratches and/or dents that aren’t explainable, this may mean they are having a tough time staying alert while driving.

“It’s important to understand the importance of access for people. Everything can’t happen at home, so the ability to get out and appreciate life and activities is so critically important in the lives of older adults in our community” says Janice.

Senior Transportation Connection is here to help your loved ones get around town easily, safely and in the most enjoyable way possible. If you or someone you know could benefit from STC’s service, please don’t hesitate to contact. You can visit their site at www.rideSTC.org or call one of their representatives to answer any questions at 1-800-983-4782.

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Here at Stay At Home Modifications, we make your well-being our priority. Our interview series goes hand in hand with that effort, and we hope you find it helpful! For more information on how we can help you make your home a home for life, visit us at www.StayAtHomeModificationsINC.com or call me (Brian Pritchard) at 216-212-7531.