Donate auto, but keep riding

Seniors retain mobility, transition away from car ownership

By Jennifer L. Boen
of The News-Sentinel

Fort Wayne has a new option for older adults who no longer are able to or desire to drive themselves to and from the grocery store or the afternoon bridge club meeting. Community Transportation Network (CTN) is starting Senior Keys. The program allows the older adult who still has a car but no longer drives it to donate the vehicle to CTN. In addition to the tax write-off for the senior, the donor receives a credit with Senior Keys to buy rides up to the value of the donated vehicle.

“We'll be looking to build a small fleet of vehicles to begin transporting seniors,” said Brad Davis, Senior Keys manager. “We'll be targeting folks transitioning away from driving, more likely folks in their 80s or above, those who might have not as good of control of a vehicle as they should.”

Volunteer drivers will transport the seniors. CTN will keep well-running vehicles for the fleet. Vehicles not in good enough condition for the fleet will be sold, with proceeds used for Senior Keys for operating expenses. Communities across the nation are looking at novel ways to prepare for the surge in services needed by the 65 and older population, which will double by 2030, reaching 71 million people. By then, 9.5 million people will be 85 years and older.

It is never easy for adult children to talk to their elderly parents about giving up the car keys. But anyone who recalls the July 2003 tragedy in Santa Monica Calif., in which 86-year-old George Weller killed 10 people when he accidentally drove through a crowd at a Santa Monica, Calif., farmers' market, knows the conversation is a necessary one. Soon after the accident, Weller reportedly told police he may have mistakenly hit the gas pedal instead of the brake. In addition to the 10 deaths, 15 people were critically injured.

“That conversation can be hard. The last thing people want to do is give up driving,” Davis said. Some people begin limiting themselves as to where and when they drive. Eventually the car sits unused in the garage. It is those individuals and families that CTN is seeking to donate vehicles to Senior Keys and to begin using the service.

“We hope to begin marketing this to families of current clients or other groups such as the Council on Aging and Aging and In-Home Services (of Northeast Indiana),” as well as to attorneys and doctors, Davis said. He noted that some agencies offer transportation for clients but it is limited to medical or other specific uses. The Council on Aging's transportation service, for example, provides seniors transportation to and from medical appointments, nutrition sites, grocery stores and social service agencies.

CTN, DeLuxe Taxi and Citilink in February announced a partnership to offer wheelchair taxi service 24/7 in Fort Wayne. Senior Keys will use only passenger cars so individuals needing wheelchair-accessible transportation should use the new taxi service.

The service will begin once CTN has a small fleet plus a group of volunteer drivers, Davis said. The target date is sometime in April.

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