Medical transportation tough to tackle
Photo
Janesville resident Sherry Schlueter is facing challenges finding transportation to her doctor appointments. She can't drive and is afraid to take the bus due to a painful foot condition, a complication of her diabetes, that keeps her in a foot cast and reliant on a cane.
JANESVILLE — Sherry Schlueter had to cancel her eye doctor appointment three times because she didn’t have a way to get there.
She has a “terrible” time finding transportation for medical appointments and other errands, she said.
“Sometimes I get a ride with a neighbor, but most of the time, I can’t get a ride very good,” said Schlueter, 54, who doesn’t drive.
She lives in an apartment building just blocks from the Mercy Hospital/Riverview Clinic campuses, but she can’t walk there because her foot is in a cast.
She used to take the city bus, but is afraid of doing that with her cast, and the possibility of having to walk a couple blocks to or from a bus stop. Other transportation services have told her they prefer people 55 and older, she said.
Transportation is an issue in any community, officials say, but in Rock County it is compounded by cuts to services that provided rides. There’s no one clear answer to the problem, but service providers are working together to find solutions.
Impact of area cuts
In June, the Senior Companion Program of Rock County ended, leaving 221 clients without their companions who helped them with shopping and doctor appointments.
This spring, the company that owns Van Galder Bus decided to end the rides it provided to about 140 Rock County residents to work at Kandu.
In 2008, Mercy Health System ended its Mercy in Motion program, which provided Mercy patients with rides to medical appointments.
Rock County Specialized Transit has taken a few more calls lately, but it’s too early to draw any conclusions on why, said Joyce Luben, director of the Council on Aging.
Just this week, the transit service added another vehicle to its fleet to meet the demand, she said.
“Our routes were full, and they were filling up fairly quickly pretty far in advance,” she said. “And in looking at the budget, we decided that we could put another one on the road and see how it goes.”
Love INC, which provides free rides with volunteer drivers, also has seen an increase in calls and has taken on a few new clients since the Senior Companion program ended, said Tina Westman, clearinghouse coordinator.
Rides usually are limited to two per month, she said, and the non-profit network of churches transports about 12 clients a month.
More demand
The number of rides Rock County Specialized Transit provides has increased the last four years—from 19,518 rides in 2006 to 24,173 rides in 2009. By far the majority of trips are medical related, according to specialized transit data. Of the trips made last year, 15,022 were medical.
The specialized transit program provides rides for people age 55 and older or people with a disability. It is a service run through the Council on Aging.
Rides within a community are $4 one way or $5 to another community. The program is funded through the state, county, city and other sources including Medicare.
Kim Pregont, manager of Riverview Heights Apartments in Janesville, said transportation cuts, including the Senior Companion program, have “really put residents on the spot.”
“When they’re not driving anymore, they depended on those things,” she said. “Now it’s up to them to find (new rides).”
Westman agreed.
“I do think it is a gap in our community,” she said. “It is something that is needed—a away for folks to get around.”
Evaluating resources
Luben leads a transportation coordinating committee made up of transportation providers and agencies that serve clients with transportation needs.
“These are issues we are constantly talking about—how can we best coordinate our resources,” she said. “Now, our focus is on looking at what all the resource are, where are federal- and state-funded vehicles, and can we coordinate all those resources.”
One idea they are researching is how to put government-funded vehicles to use when other agencies aren’t using them, she said. No timeline is set, but the committee will continue discussions.
After Mercy in Motion ended, Jim Lang of Janesville had hoped to fill the void by starting a non-profit transportation system for those in need of rides to medical appointments and other errands.
His idea fizzled because of the economy, he said, and it “just never went anywhere.”
“I just couldn’t drum up the funds to get it off the ground,” he said. “There’s a tremendous need for it. If I could find somebody else that is interested in working on it, I would surely be willing to work on it.”
Jun 30, 2011 at 10:06 p.m.
Suggest removal
mooshoo-neither-are you brain damaged or just naturally stupid and arrogant?
Jun 30, 2011 at 9:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
Bebe, are you a volunteer Mercy apologist or one of the paid apes otherwise known as a VP?
Aug 10, 2010 at 8:45 p.m.
Suggest removal
Scooter47- Thank you. I can't believe the arrogance and lack of understanding shown here. But, Karma has a way of coming around.....
Aug 10, 2010 at 5:46 p.m.
Suggest removal
Sandman, that was just outright rude! She explained about the bus. I have a sister that is diabetic, has 2 new knees and has Sharkos (spelling?) arthritis in her feet, meaning the bones are deteriorating and she cannot walk far. I suspect this woman has the same as it only happens in diabetics. What would you do if you had to sit around all day and night? And a lot of people don't have family around and maybe she lives in a bad neighborhood. Get your head out of the sand, Sandman and GROW UP!
Aug 10, 2010 at 5:33 p.m.
Suggest removal
Boo-hoo-who!
Take the bus...that's what it's there for. If not, ask your family, friends and neighbors. Be resourceful--there's "pride" (look it up) in that!
It's not up to government to cart everyone around door-to-door. Sorry. What do you think they did 100 years ago? How about 1000 years ago (that's a rhetorical question!)?
Deal with it. And while you're at it, get off your derriere and get a little exercise in the process--loose some weight so as to actively take "responsibility" (look it up) to improve your own health (yeah, I know, "I'm just big boned").
Aug 10, 2010 at 3:20 p.m.
Suggest removal
Fedora- Your veiled comment was very mean. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Aug 10, 2010 at 3:08 p.m.
Suggest removal
I would so go pick these people up and help them out! Just to help them, I wouldn't want any money from the city/these people for it. I could easily do this when I am off work!
Aug 10, 2010 at 11:04 a.m.
Suggest removal
See, (to Gazettefan) I am not the only one that thinks Mercy is a crock. It cuts out all useful programs, sticks it to their employees and then wants to maintain patients, what a joke!!! Maybe the Gazette should put a free place in the paper for these people to ask for rides and then someone, such as myself, can respond and help out. But again, Bliss is just as cheap as Mercy. JMO
Aug 10, 2010 at 10:51 a.m.
Suggest removal
medman86, Mercy in Motion DID used to charge, $4 or $5 round trip. I believe they used volunteer drivers. Apparently they still couldn't make it break even, or that is what we were given to believe when they shut it down.
Aug 10, 2010 at 9:58 a.m.
Suggest removal
SaraB1 has not commented on this post? Wow
Aug 10, 2010 at 9:41 a.m.
Suggest removal
it sucks that Mercy is so cheap to help out patients. Maybe if there was a way for them to charge, then I'm sure it would be possible. I'm sure the nuns that used to run Mercy before it was bought by a penny pinching selfish man, are rolling in their graves at the thought of how much Mercy is out to make a buck instead of helping patients. what happened to their motto, healing in the broadest sense? in order to heal, don't patients have to be able to go to their appointments? For as much as they charge, they should be able to find it somewhere. I know for a fact that the employee's arent seeing the money, hence their 2% raise, but only if they get a perfect score on their annual review. Anyways, I know in Brodhead members of churches, mostly people who have recently retired, are giving people who cant drive, rides to and from appointments, grocery shopping, or even to visit friends in the hospitals or nursing homes. If only everyone else could be so compassionate instead of money grubbing. yeah the economy is bad, but I still help out as much as I can and I am unemployed. People lost the help thy neighbor attitude. Its sad that people as much as they are religious forget to help one another, but when it comes time for same sex marriage, they are raising the bible and praising its every word. I feel for people in time of need, I just wish people would be less selfish and do the same
Aug 10, 2010 at 7:32 a.m.
Suggest removal
It's a disappointment that because she is "merely" 54, some transportation services (maybe even ones interviewed here) refused to accommodate her. Disability can happen at any age. If she can't get to her medical appointments, she might not live to be 55 to be able to use their service, and with multiple diabetics in my family, I know this is possible and I am not being overly dramatic. TJ, maybe we should not have empty buses - agreed - but the buses are NOT the answer for persons such as this lady, for the reasons clearly listed. I don't know enough about the bus routes and use levels to make any valid comment, but if they really are half empty all the time, why do we need the big beasts? Don't they have smaller versions of commercial buses they way they do school buses? Just a thought.
Aug 9, 2010 at 9:02 p.m.
Suggest removal
Elderly and disabled really need to have more personal services ensuring they get to appointments, stores, etc. It's a great disservice to the non-driving population to not have readily available transportation.
Aug 9, 2010 at 7:22 p.m.
Suggest removal
The busses run so persons without transportation to work, medical appointments, grocery stores etc. can get there. Maybe the problem is that too many people rely on the door to door service of these programs and don't utilize the bus service. If the busses are empty like you say, then we should be eliminating the programs and directing those in need to the bus system.
Aug 9, 2010 at 5:57 p.m.
Suggest removal
...I wonder what it costs to buy, maintain and fuel one of those busses that run around mostly empty every day......
Aug 9, 2010 at 5:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
If we could get the money spent on running empty busses funneled to a service that LOTS MORE people could actually use it would sure be great but I don't see that happening.
Aug 9, 2010 at 5:29 p.m.
Suggest removal
I wonder if the woman in this article has utilized any of the resources talked about here? Age shouldn't matter, you can get an AARP card at 50. We should have an Adopt-a-Senior or Neighbor program. Make it a part of teens Senior year volunteer work and let families or individuals connect with these people and fill the gap. Chances are they are alone for holidays and most of the rest of the time, they could participate like a family member. It would be a win win for everyone.
Aug 9, 2010 at 5:07 p.m.
Suggest removal
Start one.
Aug 9, 2010 at 5:05 p.m.
Suggest removal
Well we do have a couple taxi services but I don't think I would ride with them. Besides the fact that half the time they have no gas to get to where you are.....some taxi service!
Aug 9, 2010 at 4:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
Agreed!
Aug 9, 2010 at 4:36 p.m.
Suggest removal
The biggest problem is that there is no taxi service in this town! How a town of 60,000 people does not have taxi service is beyond me.
Before you post a comment, consider this:
Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy AgreementPost Comment
Commenting requires registration.