I'll be back later after a trip to the pool and the hand surgeon. Sorry about the tooth, and I understand about the teeth. Only at bed time did I notice that I'd been to the eye doc with out my partial....which I'd left in the car.

Hope you feel better soon.

Fresno has a taxi service for those over 72 called Script Taxi. Other places may have this, too.

A senior buys the script through the local bus service office and then calls a number when a taxi is needed. The taxi picks up and delivers the senior and takes the script as payment.

From what I hear from my senior friends who can use the program, it is quite reasonable in price. I am guessing the city transit system underwrites the cost.

The senior housing centers in town all have their own bus for resident's transportation needs. A few even have cars that can be used for just one passenger for a dr.'s appt or such when using a bus would be out of the question.

P.S. I like the idea of a reader-to-reader feedback day from time to time. (I may even borrow a version of the idea for my own blog.) Time Goes By has some great, spicy discussions in the comment section so an occasional reader-to-reader feedback day could be fun and informative.

There are Senior Centers located all over Tucson and I tried several when I still drove, but I found they were not a good fit for me.

When even riding a bus became impossible the only way I could get to them was to use the handicap Van. It's a royal pain to use and I only use it now in emergencies.

I am not a joiner and it has been so long since I tried a Senior Center that I can't speak for my city.

The city in which I live in northern Illinois, Rockford, used to be second in size in the state, although there is a huge difference between the population of the Windy City and us, at 152,000. We are now third, but in a metropolitan statistical area of about 300,000, so there are plenty of seniors within about a 40 mile radius. Unfortunately, services are not terrific. The agency which coordinates the local Meals on Wheels and some other services held its annual Senior Expo last week, probably the largest local such event. It was held in an indoor sports facility which is not on a bus line, and about a ten mile drive from my house. I would imagine that this limits participation for many, and, in fact, I noticed that many people were being delivered in vans from assisted living centers and other senior facilities. I found about 10% of the exhibitors interesting or sharing information of value to me. The majority were selling insurance, high-priced in-home care, bathtubs for those who cannot use a standard one, food supplements (the only vendor of these that I spoke to could not tell me the contents, only that it "helped him avoid a recommended knee replacement a couple of years ago") expensive dental procedures, alternative health services (though I saw no yoga or Tai Chi). Mostly things that required a hefty one-time or long-term financial commitment. I collected some useful information to share with the mostly older neighbors who attend the neighborhood organization I co-chair, but mostly I felt bad, and kept thinking to myself how abundant the opportunities are for exploitation of this population. And what a lack there was of more important information. I saw nothing about aging in place that did not require shelling out some big bucks for home modification. One of the best booths was presenting information for the Learning in Retirement program connected to our local community college. That is loaded with interesting opportunities, but again, located outside the city in a building that will limit many people's access. There is at least a bus that goes out there, but you would spend about half the day getting there and back.

I would appreciate someone to clean and put away the outdoor furniture next week; someone to come by once or twice a year to explain the new (and old!) tech information for computer and cell phones; someone who could assist going through boxes of memorable or useless items that now number in the dozens; help with eliminating unwanted clothing and household items & then donating them to my favorite homeless shelter.

And I'd love for someone who could put together a list of all the small, pesky things (like screen repairs, paint touch-ups, ceramic gluing, etc.) and have it all done.

Now, where is that fairy godmother!!? I don't think I'm done yet...

Suz...
What you want/need is exactly what Villages are designed to provide among many other services both professional and volunteer.

To someone above who said he or she couldn't afford to move into a Village - a Village I am referring to and working with is not a place. It is a group of people in the same geographical area working together to help one another age in their homes.

I've written about it here in the past and will again in the future.

I live in the S.W. corner of Spain and, as I've written before, there is an expectation that families will look after their older relatives. Indeed the obligation to do so is enshrined in law.

Having said that, there are very lively "pensioner centres" with subsidised meals, chiropody, hairdressin, dances and guest speakers, including those on sexual health. Spanish speaking foreigners can join if they wish, but there is a charitable organisation "Age Concern" that provides services to the English speaking community over 50. Lifts for shopping, hospital or medical appointments, befriending, respite care for carers, aids to daily living like walkers, wheelchairs on loan are all run by volunteers and cost free to the "client".

Ronni, the next time you write about the Village concept can you include links to and/or ideas on how to start a Village? I'd like to print off some resources to take to our senior hall along with a proposal that we start something like that here. I'm pretty sure the director would be open to the idea but I'd need something in writing to show her. We just raised enough money to buy a brand new tour bus so we can quit renting them for our many day trips, I would think we could organize a Village if people know about the idea and have a game plan to follow.

Our senior center has a handyman service; he is paid a salary by the center. He was terrific and was not trying to sell me more than I needed. Just today, I went to a very informative insurance counseling session (independent not sales based) also at the senior center. Next month I am going on a bus trip to see a Broadway show. These services alone are worth more than the $25 yearly membership fee.

Ronni, hope you are getting better.
I was mid-response when the phone rang. By the time I got back to this box, my time had run out.

So here we go again. The short and sweet is Bruce is right.

And so are the other posters above when they say transportation is issue number one.

Montreal and suburbs have tons of activities for seniors. Everything you can imagine.

Back to transportation, the lack of..

My mom uses taxi vouchers which we give her, but she says having no car is like having no legs.

So far, the NORC idea would be great for my husband and I. We have cars, but use the bus on weekends downtown.

Seniors have reduced fare passes.

But many seniors are frightened of taking the bus, or having to stand outside in winter.

I like those electric bikes but bike theft is a thing in Montreal. We would need secure bike garages.

And who rides a bike in winter?

A few hardy souls.

We could all use a "Driving Miss Daisy" chauffeur when we reach that magic age of no car.

I want to live in Canada where Deb lives. It sounds like paradise, but the catch is probably dealing with snow in winter which would be a deal breaker for this native Californian. Seriously, here in Sacramento, I am totally uninformed about services, if any, offered to seniors. I know there are senior centers, but like seemingly everything else in the world, they usually schedule services and activities for the morning hours and by the time my afternoon-person body is ready to partake, it's all over.

I do have cheap rides on ParaTransit (which I hate)for my monthly eye injection appointments because I can't drive myself back from them. Otherwise I drive myself everywhere---so far. I'm not looking forward to the time when I can no longer do that. I hire a lot of handymen and cleaners and window washers and haulers, etc. which can be very stressful since they never seem to know exactly how to do a good job. All I want is that they do things as well as I used to do myself until I was about 70---not too much to ask, I think.

After reading a previous column about the fear of dying or falling and not being discovered, I found that Eskaton has a daily phone check service and I was supposed to be emailed an application. That was a week ago and still no application. This is what I often encounter: the service sounds good, but the follow-through is either inept or non-existent.

I remember in a book by Anne Tyler the main characters, a group of young people, ran a service for seniors called something like "Rent-a-Back" which, for a monthly fee, did all those oddball things one used to do but are now just out of reach, like taking down the Xmas tree and the kind of things Luz mentions in her comment. If our local college students had any work ethic and weren't getting all their money from home, they might establish such a service. It would actually be kind of analogous to Uber and Lyfft, only for home services.

Hi Ronni,
Hope you feel better.
I live on Long Island New York, and am a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee in Nassau County of our New York Connects Program. Every County outside the city has one.
New York City has one for the city as a whole. The function is to provide assistance in finding Long Term Care not only for seniors but for any one of any age. It is available to older citizens on Dialisis, children needing breathing help, etc. I was on the sub-committee that set up our brochures and insisted the text be on no more than a ninth grade reading level. The phone is answered by a human being. Interpretors are available in at least six languages. We are monitored by the State and the results seem to show our County is one of the best in the state.
I hope that is helpfull to your followers in New York.
Jay H. broad

Just outside San Diego is a NORC

Walla Walla has a transit system that goes by or near almost everything I might to visit. There is a "Senior/Disabled" permit that allows a body to ride for 25¢. There is a Dial-A-Ride program, pass for $12 a month, that will pick you up at and return you to your door. Or you can pay 75¢. You have to plan ahead for this. Since we ice up for weeks every winter and get weeks over 100° in the summer the door to door program is a necessity for anyone who can't manage in adverse weather. But, don't plan on it being quick.

Our senior center here is small. There are daily lunches served for a suggested donation of $4, or no charge. They also manage the Meals on Wheels program, and run an Adult Daycare program providing respite for caregivers as well as a good program for those being served. They host classes, painting, bridge, tai chi, and the like and there are three pool tables that are heavily used ;-). They also provide health screening, foot care, free haircuts once a month, 1/2 hour of free legal advice, and with AARP do our taxes for free.

There is one pharmacy and one grocery store that will deliver to your door.

There are three colleges here that provide a lot of events many of them gratis. I just saw Neil deGrasse Tyson here at Whitman College, not free, but more than worth it. at Walla Walla Community College the over 65 crowd can take up to 2 classes for $2.50 each on a space available basis.

Walla Walla also has two hospitals that can handle most things. Serious heart problems and some other conditions still seem to require being airlifted to Spokane or Seattle. You can subscribe to a medical air service for about $60 if your insurance doesn't cover this. Not just for elders of course.

I think we are doing pretty well for a town of 32,000 in a remote corner of the state. About 15% of us are over 65. About 11% of these are under the poverty line. We need a programs to check in on seniors, especially those living alone. Some churches have them but we have nothing that includes the population at large as far as I can tell.