Homebound with limited mobility & no transportation
What about veterans who are only able to get transport assistance to & from medical appts (either from the VA or their county services), & nothing to help with other life necessity needs? That don't have access to public transportation? VA physicians constantly urge patients to get out more in order to improve their outlook & quality of life, as it's well documented that this can aid in a patient's overall health, but ...more »
What about veterans who are only able to get transport assistance to & from medical appts (either from the VA or their county services), & nothing to help with other life necessity needs? That don't have access to public transportation?
VA physicians constantly urge patients to get out more in order to improve their outlook & quality of life, as it's well documented that this can aid in a patient's overall health, but many disabled veterans are hampered by circumstances such as: a) living alone with no local support system; b) extremely limited mobility; & c) medical safety restriction from driving (say from severe PTSD triggers & heavy medication).
For example, the veteran may have no way to get to a 'local' grocery store unless they hire a driver.
Without transportation, these veterans are very restricted by their limitations. Can you imagine the extended freedom & independence a mobility scooter could give such a veteran? The ability to go to a local grocer or other store to take care of their needs, make it to their local veterans post, church, community center, to expand their social interactions. What most people take for granted, a 'homebound' veteran is cut off from.
Most transportation, both VA provided & county disabled transport, restrict travel provided only to medical appointments. Which would be cheaper to provide: a van & driver services 5 days a week that may or may not be utilized in an efficient manner by veterans scattered over a coverage area from a VA hospital, or mobility scooters for the ones who meet the criteria of being mobility restricted but don't fall under the current criteria for mobility scooters?
How about VA utilizing a mobility scooter rental contract option if the VA doesn't feel it can effectively provide more mobility options for disabled homebound veterans such as I've described above?
« less full details »
|
Social Web