According to the CDC, nearly 14% of Americans have mobility issues. Those who struggle with these issues will often have trouble doing things like climbing stairs, walking, and even just getting out of bed.
If you know someone who has mobility issues, getting them to and from doctor’s appointments can be very challenging. You might want to think about investing in non-emergency medical transportation services to make life easier for them.
You should also make it your mission to keep them safe when they’re using stretcher transportation. Steps can be taken to ensure your loved one is able to get from point A to point B without any problems.
Here’s how to ensure the safety of a loved one when you’re utilizing stretcher transport services.
Find a Medical Stretcher Transportation Service
If a loved one is going to need to be transported somewhere on a stretcher, you shouldn’t ever consider tackling this task on your own. You could put them in harm’s way if you attempt to do it.
Instead, search your area for a trusted stretcher transportation service. Stretcher transport services will be able to move your loved one around safely.
You should be able to find lots of stretcher transport services that can set you up with the services you need. You should look for the ones that have:
- Plenty of experience within the non-emergency medical transportation industry
- A team of trusted drivers and technicians
- Convenient locations that are situated close to your loved one’s residence
Don’t just Google “stretcher transportation near me” and hire the first company you can find. You’ll benefit from conducting a more thorough search than that.
Provide a Service With Information About a Loved One
Once you land on a non-emergency medical transportation company you like, call them and let them know you’d like to use their services. Then, provide them with some information about your loved one and their needs.
More specifically, you’ll need to be ready to provide a service with info on your loved one’s height and weight. It’ll help them to pick out the right size stretcher for your loved one.
You’ll also need to let a service know about where your loved one is located and how much help they’ll need. If, for example, they need to be brought down a flight of steps, a service will have to bring special equipment along to make this possible.
Prepare a Loved One for Stretcher Transportation
Your loved one will need to be ready to go on the day when you arrange to have a non-emergency medical transportation service pick them up. Getting them ready is going to involve doing more than just getting them dressed and putting shoes on them.
You should give your loved one a heads-up about how a service is going to be coming to bring them somewhere on a stretcher. This isn’t something you want to spring on them at the last second, especially if you suspect they might not be happy about being taken anywhere on a stretcher.
If possible, you should let them know a stretcher transportation company will be coming a few days in advance. It’ll get them mentally prepared for it and reduce the chances of them putting up a fight when a service shows up.
Find a Place to Put a Loved One for Pickup
Most non-emergency medical transportation services will be able to offer either door-to-door transportation or curb-to-curb transportation.
Door-to-door transportation will involve a service going into your loved one’s home to get them out. They can bring a stretcher right inside their house and bring them out on it.
Curb-to-curb transportation, on the other hand, will require you to bring your loved one out on your own. A service will pick them up outside of their home and whisk them away to an appointment.
Either way, you and the service you hire should be on the same page about where your loved one will be when they arrive. You can then take them to that place so that they’re ready to go when a service gets there.
Remove Obstacles for a Stretcher Transportion Service
If a non-emergency medical transportation service is going to pick your loved one up outside, they shouldn’t face too many obstacles. But if they have to enter your loved one’s home, it could be another story.
In this case, you’ll want to create a clear path from wherever your loved one is to the nearest exterior door. This will make it possible for a service to get to your loved one and wheel them out on a stretcher safely without encountering any obstacles along the way.
Give a Stretcher Transportation Services a Final Destination
It doesn’t matter if you need a stretcher transportation service to take your loved one a few blocks, a few miles, or even a few hours away. A good service will be able to bring your loved one wherever they need to go.
You should, however, be sure to give them a final destination and provide an accurate address. You might also want to call ahead to wherever it is they’re going to see where they should be dropped off.
By doing this, you’ll make things easier on both your loved one and the service that will be transporting them. They’ll be able to get your loved one there and unload them safely.
Call Us for Safe and Reliable Stretcher Transportation Services
At Affinity Transit, we know how difficult it can be for people to get their loved ones around when they have mobility issues. Our stretcher transportation services are designed to help.
We can pick your loved one up with our stretcher transportation services and bring them to a hospital, a doctor’s office, a nursing home, or even somewhere like a wedding. We’ll work to keep them safe at all times and will ensure they remain comfortable throughout the duration of their trip.
Contact us now to take advantage of our services.