By Lisa Cochrane
I recently was told about a creative solution that a friend used when his aging mother could no longer drive. George’s mother lived in an assisted-living facility and she loved the independence and freedom that came with driving herself to doctor appointments and on errands. But George was worried, as he could tell her eyesight and reflexes weren’t what they used to be. When she had a small accident, he was finally able to convince her to give up her keys.
George then decided to sell her car and put the money into an interest-bearing account. He contracted with a local cab company to have a taxi available for his mom whenever she needed it, and instead of billing her, they sent an itemized statement every month to George (including a 20% gratuity). The cab company agreed to use only three drivers so his mom could get to know them. The drivers also agreed to carry her packages and groceries to the door and wait for up to a half hour at her destination.
It was a perfect solution to what could have been a difficult problem. George’s mom still had the freedom to go when and where she wanted and George didn’t worry nor need to take time off work to get her to doctor appointments. His mom even became the hit of the assisted-living facility — especially after she started inviting others to join her on her trips to the local department stores, the grocery and even the theater. Having a taxi available allowed them to venture out to more evening events and dinners.
The money in the interest-bearing account and the savings from not paying for car insurance, gas and upkeep paid for all the taxi rides. His creative solution also kept his mother safe and actually gave her a different kind of freedom — she could now bring along new friends and they could enjoy themselves without the worry of driving home!
