Are you going to need help getting to a hospital, doctor’s office, nursing home, dialysis center, or another medical facility sometime soon? There will be a handful of patient transportation options available to you.
Calling on a stretcher transportation company for assistance might be the best option for the bunch. A company like this will know all about transporting a patient safely from point A to point B without any problems by using a stretcher.
Before you hire a stretcher transportation company to help you, though, you should learn about a few common mistakes people sometimes make when doing it. We’re also going to include a few stretcher tips that’ll allow you to avoid them.
Here are the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to stretcher transportation.
Choosing the Wrong Stretcher Transportation Company
If you need to find a stretcher transportation company to assist you, you shouldn’t have any trouble tracking down lots of options. There are quite a few non-emergency medical transportation companies throughout the country.
But you should try not to just Google “stretcher transportation company near me” and hire the first one you can find. They might not be the best choice in your area.
Instead, you should create a list of patient transportation options to kick things off. Then, you should research each of them to figure out which ones have the most experience, the best stretchers, etc.
The more homework you do on your local stretcher transportation companies, the easier it should be for you to choose the best one in the business.
Picking Curb-to-Curb Transportation Vs. Door-to-Door Transportation
The best stretcher transportation companies are going to give you two options when they arrange to provide you with a ride. You’ll be able to choose from either curb-to-curb transportation or door-to-door transportation.
If you’re someone who is able to make it out front of your home on your own, curb-to-curb transportation will do the trick. But if you’re in a position where you need to be transported around on a stretcher, this might not be possible.
Don’t make the mistake of scheduling curb-to-curb transportation when this is the case. You should opt for door-to-door transportation so that you’re able to get all the assistance you need.
Failing to Prepare for a Stretcher Transportation Company’s Arrival
When a stretcher transportation company shows up at your home to pick you up, you want to make it as easy as possible for them to get you onto a stretcher and out of your home. With this in mind, you should get ready for their arrival accordingly.
First and foremost, you should create clear walking paths in your home so that a two-person crew can bring a stretcher inside and get to you. You should also be dressed and prepared to leave upon their arrival.
By taking these simple steps, you can steer clear of running into any delays that might derail your ability to make it to a medical appointment on time.
Selecting the Wrong Stretcher to Use
There are so many different types of stretchers that companies can use to transport people around these days. You should make sure the company you hire to help you can provide the kind of stretcher you need.
If, for example, you know that you’re going to need to be taken out of your home on a bariatric stretcher, you shouldn’t hesitate to bring that up. It’ll guarantee that a company brings this type of stretcher along when picking you up.
A good company should always ask you the right questions to determine which type of stretcher you’ll need. But it’s better to be safe than sorry by bringing it up yourself.
Giving a Stretcher Transportation Company the Wrong Destination
When a stretcher transportation company is booking a ride for you, they’ll ask you to provide your home address. They’ll also ask you where you’ll need them to take you.
It’s extremely important that you provide them with the right address for your final destination. Otherwise, it could create some confusion in the end and even prevent you from making it to a medical appointment on time.
It wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world to double-check the address of your destination ahead of time. It’ll ensure that a company picks you up and drops you off in the right places.
Neglecting to Take Advantage of Long Distance NEMT
If you’re only going to be heading to a medical facility that’s a few minutes away, calling a long distance non-emergency medical transportation company might not be necessary. But if you’re traveling to a different city or even a different state, calling a long distance NEMT company would be the right move to make.
A company like this will have stretchers and vehicles that are designed to travel long distances. You’ll be able to keep yourself comfortable by working with a company that specializes in providing long distance NEMT.
Reach Out to Us for Non-Emergency Stretcher Transportation
It’s easy to make mistakes when working with a stretcher transportation company. By becoming more aware of them, you should be able to avoid them at all costs.
Now that you know about some of the mistakes people often make, you can do your best to steer clear of them. Affinity Transit, Inc. is the long distance NEMT company you can count on for all your stretcher transportation needs.
Contact us today to find out more about reserving rides with us and browse through our blog for more useful stretcher tips.