Protecting your independence and health with transportation options

Avoid isolation, malnutrition, and missed doctor appointments by arranging rides when you no longer drive.

Let someone else do the driving for you by signing up for a ride at a nonprofit group or spiritual community.
Image: JackF /Thinkstock

It's not easy giving up the car keys when you get older. Without transportation, you need others to take you to a store, a doctor's office, or a social gathering. "That can be very hard for some people. They won't ask for assistance, because they don't want to be a burden," says Dr. Margaret O'Connor, a neuropsychologist at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).