COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

 

Madison county is a large, rural county located in central New York State.  Like so many rural areas,  Madison County had no form of public transportation and it was this service that residents of the county  consistently identified as the most pressing need on community surveys. Those most affected by the absence of this service were older persons.

 

BACKGROUND HISTORY

 

In an effort to provide the county's elder citizens with access to transportation services, the Madison County Office for the Aging initiated a Senior Transportation Program.  The effort was to be a temporary measure until a county-wide public transportation system was developed. 

 

The Senior Transportation Program was intended to address as many transportation needs as possible,  using group trans­portation. However, it was quick­ly discovered that one single approach could not adequately meet the varied transportation needs of the county's elders, particularly when only one or two individuals needed to be transported long dis­tances for medical or other care. 

 

The Volunteer Driver Corps, a separate transportation component, was developed to address these needs.  The purpose of the Volunteer Driver Corps was to transport senior citizens to medical appointments, for physical  therapy, and to other appointments on an individual, as needed, basis.

 

PROJECT INITIATIVE

 

Locating Volunteer Drivers

 

In 1982, efforts began in earnest to recruit volunteer drivers to transport senior citizens to individual appoint­ments.  Advertisements were placed in the NEWS, a bimonthly newsletter disseminated by the Office for the Aging.  Information outlining the structure of the program was shared with senior citizen represen­tatives, who in turn shared this in­formation with churches and civic groups.  Working within their local areas, senior citizen representatives located indi­viduals who might enjoy being a volunteer driver. Individuals who expressed an interest in volunteering were asked to complete a registration form.

 

Senior citizens were encouraged to contact the new Volunteer Driver Corps to request transportation to doctors’ appointments, grocery shopping, etc.  Passengers were informed that the service was free, but contributions and/or donations were accepted by the Office for the Aging.  As volunteer drivers were registered and transportation requests received, a dispatcher was hired to match transportation requests with volunteer drivers in those areas.  This strategy proved to be quite effective.  A separate telephone line was installed to handle transportation requests, and a telephone recorder was installed to improve access. 

 

Driver and passenger booklets,  outlining the responsibilities of both drivers and passengers, were developed by the Madison County Office for the Aging. These booklets help define the purpose of the program and provide important information including ­contact information; information about the hours of transportation service; geographic areas covered; and acceptance of donations is included.  The logo on these book­lets has become the hallmark for the program.

 

FUNDING

 

Volunteer drivers submit month­ly mileage reports to the Office of the Aging and are reimbursed at a rate of 24-cents per mile (at the time of this printing).  Not all drivers request a reimbursement. In 1995, 3,709 trips were provided totaling over 71,000 miles. 

 

Passengers are given a standard contribution schedule as part of the information provided in the Passenger Booklet.  The contribution schedule is based on the distance traveled.  Passengers are in­structed to mail contributions directly to the Office of the Aging, so drivers are not required to take on the added responsibility of collecting and monitoring donations.

 

CHALLENGES

 

Because the Volunteer Driver Corps became so popular among elder citizens, parameters were created to prevent the volunteer drivers from becoming burned-out through over-utilization.  It became necessary to query seniors calling with trans­portation requests to determine whether other transportation resources had been considered, including assistance from a relative or friend.  Often, seniors had relatives or friends willing to provide trans­portation, but the senior called the Volunteer Driver Corps as a means to main­tain a sense of independence.  Seniors were not denied transportation, even when other resources were available. 

 

Initially, the Volunteer Driver Corps trans­ported older persons to any destination for virtually any reason.  Hair appointments, doctor visits, grocery shopping, an afternoon of shopping and friendly visits are just a few examples of how this service helped seniors live independently in their communities. 

 

As seniors gained confidence in the Volunteer Driver Corps, the program grew so large that it became necessary to narrow the transportation service for medical appointments exclusively.  By making this modification, a priority was established regarding which types of transportation needs were most necessary.  Still, the program continued to experience growth both in volunteer driver recruitment and transportation requests.

 

The recruitment of volunteer drivers is an ongoing process for the Volunteer Driver Corps program.  Staff and senior representatives continue to introduce the concept of being a volunteer driver to civic groups, church groups, and individuals. The ability to keep drivers active and com­mitted is dependent upon the manner in which individuals are treated after they become a volunteer. 

 

One of the program’s former directors referred to the volunteer drivers as "angels of mercy.”  It was recognized as extremely important for program staff  to com­municate to the volunteer drivers that they are special and that they represent the heart of the Volunteer Driver Corps. 

 

A newsletter was developed for volunteer drivers as one means to communicate this message.  These newsletters also con­tain general information relating to volunteer driving, along with educational and statistical information (i.e., number of miles traveled by volunteer drivers, number of seniors trans­ported, etc.).  Special placards can be displayed on the visor or dashboard of the car identifying the driver as a Volunteer Driver Corps participant. 

 

CURRENT STATUS

 

Madison County now has county-wide public transportation.  The Volunteer Driver Corps had become so popular and the volume of transportation requests so great that the advent of county-wide trans­portation brought the program much need­ed relief.  The program has slowly evolved to accommodate the many seniors who find public buses difficult to access or  the ride too strenuous.