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My husband has accepted a position with a new employer approximately 300 miles from where we now live. My plan is to contract with a non-emergency medical transport service to get Mom (87, legally blind, mostly deaf and disabled) out there when we move - I know it would be much more comfortable for her, and the drive will be much less stressful for me, not having to worry about bathroom emergencies, boredom, etc. I'll have two cats in the car as it is, so I think this would be the best approach.


I know this service isn't cheap, and it's not covered by Medicare - I'm just interested in hearing of anyone else's experiences with this type of service. Any input will be greatly appreciated!

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I used this type of service to transport my dad closer to me - he was taken from the hospital to the NH - I set it up so that they called me when they were close so that I was at the door to greet dad -

FYI ... they used a condom catheter during transport so you may want to check about something similar for your mom

2 men accompanied dad & were joking with him by time he arrived so he had a very pleasant ride - dad came with a big smile - the trip was 2 hrs 45 min with no stops at all - I would do it again if needed
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We moved my mom by Non emergency transport from Illinois to a nursing home in Wisconsin where I live it was a 35 mile drive and cost about $600. However the attendants were well trained. They moved her gently and kept her warm and comfortable during the ride. It was worth it.
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We did use a Non-Medical Transport to move our mother 350 miles to the facility that would accept her. She had become so combative with family members, no one felt safe driving her that distance. At that time she would not act out in front of strangers. The trip turned out well, the two escorts were wonderful, they had lots of experience dealing with difficult Alzheimer people. Mom arrived at her new home nice and calm. Would I use this solution again, no matter the cost, if the situation was like ours.
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I looked into a non emergency medical transport for my Mom who relocated about 500 miles, after my Dad died.

I had experience using these for my Dad, to get him to and from medical appointments. The drivers said they could go any distance, if prearranged. The drivers are all certified EMTs or RNs.

For Moms long trip, we figured it would require stops every two hours to move around, to prevent blood clots or UTIs. Also a family member would accompany. And an overnight stay would probably have been required. So the cost would have been high.

in the end, we elected to rent a van and have family members, one of whom is also an MD, accompany her

still costly but much less so b
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I did once to get my dad home from the hospital after an emergency room visit. An ambulance took him there after a fall at home. I could not physically help him get into or out of my car or up the steps into his home. The hospital arranged a private service which could move him in a wheelchair. The driver, a large strong woman, even pulled him up the steps and got him settled in bed before she left. Her responsibsility was only to move him into and out of the transport. She went above and beyond her job!
I would suggest you clearly understand what the services employees will and will not do. What happens if there is a delay on the road or your Mom has a medical emergency, what about restroom or meal stops, can a family member or friend ride along? Discuss it with the owner and get the terms in writing.
Remember that the employees may not have medical training and may be legally constrained from doing certain things.
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PeeWee57 Oct 2019
Thank you... I've already looked into several companies and received detailed quotes spelling everything out.
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I have looked into it for my mother however we didn't end up needing the service. But this was the company I wanted to go with after reading all the good reviews: https://www.medicaltransportservices.com/long-distance-medical-transportation-customer-testimonials/

That link will give you a good idea on what people's experiences were like. Good luck!
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We were going to transport MIL from Fla. to GA, 370 miles. It was a 5 hr drive costing 2k back in 2013. The inside was so comfortable looking. Which was good because one of us was going with her.

The one thing I would be concerned with is if Medicaid will be needed, she would need to establish residency in the new state.
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We have several senior living facilities in our town and they all contract with transport services for non emergent patients. When I worked on the local ambulance we often responded to patients who really weren’t “emergencies” because it was going to take too long for the transport ambulance to get there or they had used it too much that month and would have had to pay more than their monthly set amount. I don’t know exactly how transport service is billed or covered through insurance but I imagine if ordered by a doctor at least some of it is covered. I never heard complaints from the facilities, families or patients about the service though other than the availability and amount of time it took to get them there because they are so busy but that’s all based on local transport, I don’t know how easy it will even be to find a service to take her 300 miles,
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we used one to move mom to Md about 6 years ago. Luckily for us she had "bought" a service from their local fire dept ambu service for a donation. It really cut the cost down for us.. may be your parents have done the same? To this day I "donate" 50$ every year,, it was a great investment ! She was in the hospital and we brought her here for rehab .. I believe it said it covered what insurance would not, and part of other transports. The trip went well, and Mom even told the driver a shorter route to the rehab as she knew her way to our house.. LOL
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