Neighbourhood Link helps seniors get around

When asked what the best thing about his job is, Neighbourhood Link driver Raphael is quick to respond.

“Every day is different, everybody has a story to share. You never know what the next day will bring. A simple drive can really make a senior’s life so much easier,” he said.

Some mornings Raphael’s first assignment is to pick up a long-time client going to the Adult Day Program for a day with friends. Other days he heads out to drive a client who needs to get to the hospital for blood work. After dropping the client off at the hospital door and making arrangements for the return trip, Raphael will most likely be busy taking someone else to see their family doctor. Getting to a doctor’s appointment seems like it should be a relatively easy thing to do. For many of us, if we’re lucky, we might only visit the doctor a couple of times a year. But if you’re a senior who no longer drives because of physical challenges and you need to see a variety of specialists several times a month, getting to the doctor becomes a real challenge, physically and financially.

Later in the day Raphael may take a group of seniors to the local grocery store to do a shop. Or maybe he’ll stop by the Adult Day Program to pick up clients heading out to the local park for a picnic lunch.

For a small fee, Neighbourhood Link provides door-to-door transportation for seniors who, because of physical or financial limitations, cannot access public transportation or afford the cost of a taxi. Last year the service provided over 13,000 drives to seniors living in the Beach and East York communities.

For more information call Neighbourhood Link at 416-691-7407 and ask for Transportation Services.

---