Has this ever happened to you? You get scheduled for surgery, and then they tell you that when it’s time to go home, someone has to come right into the medical facility to get you, escort you home, and then go into your home with you to make sure you’re settled. You have to tell the medical facility the person’s name and contact information. If you can’t provide this, your surgery will be cancelled. But you live alone and don’t have anyone to pick you up. What are you supposed to do?
This requirement rules out the transportation services most of us use. You can’t call a taxi or book WheelTrans or any of the Toronto Ride affiliates, because their drivers have to wait for you outside. What other options are there?
Some community service agencies offer a program called Home at Last, which provides precisely this service. But there aren’t many of them, and some operate only within a specific catchment area. Examples of agencies offering Home at Last include CANES Community Care, Lumacare, Transcare Community Support Services and West Neighbourhood House. Red Cross Transportation Services will try to find a driver / escort for you if you give them a lot of notice, and they cover rides anywhere within Toronto city limits. Some service organizations, for example Woodgreen, provide medical escorts, but you must arrange your own transportation. There are also some companies you can hire for this service. I found a couple through Google, but don’t know anything about them and can’t vouch for them. Examples include C-Care Health Services and The Care Company.
If this service is so important that our surgery can be cancelled without it, then we shouldn’t be left scrambling. This is a broken link in our healthcare system.