Creative Aging is looking for volunteer drivers for a free ride service for people who can’t drive to doctors and other health care appointments and don’t have any other way to get there.
“We’re told there are many people with no family or friends living nearby and without Medicaid coverage or other resources to get them to their appointments,” said Clara Farah, who directs the ENMU-based non-profit. “Creative Aging wants to fill that gap, but we need more people willing to drive.”
The driver program is based on a similar volunteer service that has operated since the 1980s in Los Alamos.
People who need a non-emergency ride to a health care appointment will call a phone number and give the details to the program coordinator. The coordinator then calls drivers until one of them can accept the assignment. The coordinator calls the rider back with the driver’s name and phone number so the two can get in direct touch and arrange the pickup.
About 10 people so far have expressed interest in providing the same service here, according to Creative Aging program coordinator Dave Tomlin. He said he’d like to find at least 10 more to have enough drivers so at least one can always be found who can take an assignment.
“Based on the Los Alamos program, the number of rides is not huge, and no individual driver is asked to take more than a few rides a month if they don’t want to,” Tomlin said. “And a volunteer can always decline to accept a ride appointment for any reason.”
Interested drivers will be asked to provide copies of their driver’s license and auto insurance certificates, and to authorize a basic background check.”It’s based on Social Security numbers,” Tomlin said, “no fingerprints required.”
Tomlin said plans call for supplemental driver liability insurance through CIMA, a carrier that specializes in coverage of non-profit volunteers. He said he hoped the program would be ready to begin taking ride requests by late March.
Anyone interested in hearing more about becoming a driver can call Tomlin at 917-834-8133 or email him at dave.tomlin74@gmail.com.
What’s the purpose of the program?
We believe there are many in Lincoln County who need to get to health care appointments but can’t drive, have no friends or family available nearby, and don’t have Medicaid or other resources to pay for a ride. We want them to be able to call us for a lift.
Where will the program take them?
We’ll provide rides to doctor, dentist, eye or ear care, physical therapy or other health-related appointments within Lincoln County or in Alamogordo or Roswell if we can find a driver with time to go that far.
How does a rider qualify for help from the program?
We don’t plan to interrogate riders rigorously or require documentation of need or age. We’ll certainly let them know that we want as much as possible to be a last resort for those who don’t have other options.
Will drivers have to lift wheelchairs or riders who can’t walk?
No. We can only provide our service to riders who can walk to our vehicles and get in and out without much assistance. We won’t take wheelchairs. Walkers are okay.
Will drivers attend doctor visits along with riders?
No. Our service is door to door. If a rider needs help at the medical office with note taking or questions for the care provider, we will take a friend or relative along for that purpose.
How will the service work?
It’s very simple. We will have a list of drivers and a coordinator with a phone number. Riders will call the coordinator to make an appointment for a ride. The coordinator will look on the list for drivers who might be available and call them one by one until someone can accept the ride request. The coordinator will then call the rider back and give him or her the driver’s name and phone number. It will then be up to the rider to contact the driver directly to work out details of the pickup.
How do I become a driver?
We will ask you for the following: 1) A copy of your current and valid driver’s license, 2) A copy of your current and valid insurance certificate, 3) your Social Security number with permission to use it for a basic background check (no fingerprints required), 4) a short note telling us the days and times of day you prefer to drive, when you will NOT be available to drive, and whether you are willing to drive to Roswell and/or Alamogordo, just within Lincoln County, or just within your own community.
Can I refuse to drive when the coordinator calls me?
Absolutely yes. You should never feel pressured to take a ride request when it’s inconvenient or involves pickup or delivery locations you’re not comforting driving to.
What about insurance?
Drivers’ personal auto insurance policies should cover normal situations. We will insure volunteer drivers who have registered with the program for risks arising during their volunteer driving that aren’t covered by their own policies. The carrier is CIMA, a national company that specializes in insurance of volunteers with non-profit organizations.
When do we start?
We hope to be up and running by the end of March. There’s still a lot to do. We want to have at least 20 drivers registered with all their documents in hand. We need to obtain the background checks from IntelliCorp, an online company that provides various levels of security checks for businesses and other organizations. We need to get the word out to the people who might need our help. And Creative Aging, our sponsoring organization, needs to give the final go-ahead for us to start.
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