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Senior News January, 2005 Vol. 26. No. 1
Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.
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Humboldt Senior Resource Center Back issues Table of Contents
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Think About It Response to "Not Driving" by Alison Lee After reading the November Senior News article "Think About It - Not Driving" by Ruth Mountaingrove, I was struck by how familiar her comments are. They are about loss and change, about shifting gears without the automobile. Working with people ages 55 and older for the past three years, I have witnessed people adjusting not only to vision loss, but also adjusting to not driving. The loss of a driver's license is often equated with the loss of independence. Transportation services like the public bus or Dial-A-Ride can keep people tied to their communities if they live within the McKinleyville-to-Eureka service area. Beyond those reaches, the transportation options thin considerably. In Southern Humboldt, in particular, the Quail bus for people who are seniors or disabled has kept some tied to their communities despite its limited hours and fragile budget. At last report, the Klamath-Trinity Network (KTNet) van, providing transportation for travel in and around Hoopa and Willow Creek, was subsisting entirely on volunteers. Throughout the North Coast, with its limited transportation opportunities, the loss hits particularly hard. In our work providing vision rehabilitation in Humboldt and Del Norte counties, we encounter people daily who no longer drive because of vision loss. Those in the early stages of the four common eye diseases associated with aging - macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy - may start to notice glare interfering more than usual. They often start to limit themselves to driving in daylight and during sunny conditions only. One person plans her route thoroughly and only parks where she does not have to use reverse. These are all part and parcel of adjusting to vision loss and aging, one step at a time, hopefully with grace and support. While we neither encourage nor discourage people to drive, we do encourage people to become active in transportation solutions beyond the network of willing friends and families. The community loses when we lose strong voices like Ruth Mountaingrove from community programs and orientations, from boards and poetry. The local independent living center, Tri-County Independent Living Inc. now holds quarterly meetings regarding disabled seniors and transportation. The Humboldt County Association of Governments also holds transportation meetings. Recently the City of Eureka, during its self-evaluation, addressed the area's unmet transportation needs. At the LightHouse of the North Coast, we advocate access to affordable public transportation and invite others to do the same. Ali O. Lee is vision loss services coordinator for the LightHouse of the North Coast, 707-268-5646. The web site is www.lighthouse-sf.org and her e-mail is alee@lighthouse-sf.org. |
Senior News