The transportation portion of the new Better at Home program offering assistance to seniors is expected to provide a two-way street of benefits.
First, Jacqueline Guyda said she will not take a chance with her health any more by putting off making a trip to her doctor because she doesnt drive or have access to convenient and affordable transportation.
And volunteer driver Martin Chester will get the satisfaction of knowing he helped someone out.
Transportation is just one of the services the Better at Home program will provide when it gets rolling in September. Locally, Volunteer Richmond will run the United Way and provincially funded program, which will also offer friendly visiting, and light housekeeping to be launched in the months following.
Both the transportation and housekeeping programs will charge a modest fee with subsidies available for low-income clients like Guyda who said when her husband died five years ago, it left her feeling stranded.
He used to take me everywhere. And when he passed away, I didnt know where to turn, or what to do, she said. I dont have family, no children. So, I dont have anyone to drive me around.
I come from London, England, and I never drove there because the transportation was very different much better than here. So, I never learned to drive. That was a big mistake.
Its a situation many local seniors can find themselves in, said Elizabeth Specht, executive director of Volunteer Richmond.
These services will give Richmond seniors the option of living independently while still staying connected to the community, Specht said.
It will be a lifeline for Guyda, who cant always afford subsidized taxis, and doesnt trust the public transit system following an incident.
Guyda said she was assaulted while waiting for a bus when an attacker tried to make off with her purse.
I havent been on a bus since, she said. Thats got to be about five years ago. Its not the transport, its when you get older youre more observant of people and it can be scary when you start wondering if the person across from you is looking at your purse.
Trips to doctors appointments will make up the bulk of her use of the new program.
I dont like going to the doctor too much anyway, but sometimes you really have to go, Guyda said.
One of those helping her get there will be Chester, 72, who has been at the wheel of a former Volunteer Richmond driving program which, among other volunteer efforts including Meals on Wheels, has kept the former newspaper printing technician busy.
And when he provides a ride, it comes courtesy of his roomy, vintage Mercedes-Benz sedan. I call it the ponderous Panzer.
So, what was his motivation to volunteer?
It keeps me going. I have things to do every day. And I get to help people, as well, he said. Retirement sort of looms, and you think what am I going to do?
Volunteers will be the heart and soul of Better at Home, Specht said. The more volunteers were able to recruit, the more clients well be able to help.
And age should not be a barrier to volunteering, Chester added.
If youve got the wherewithal and can keep moving, you can be a volunteer. Ive known a number of people who retired on Friday and died on Monday. It happens. Youve got to keep going.
For more information on volunteering or Richmond Better at Home services in general, call 604-279-7020.
