Connections to Care in Arlington Heights helps seniors get to, from medical appointments
If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity - and you have a driver's license - Connections to Care may be the option for you.
Connections to Care in Arlington Heights offers seniors ages 60 and older a cache of volunteers who give them rides to and from doctor and dental appointments in the Northwest suburbs.
According to its website, connectionstocare.org, the nonprofit offers rides for regular checkups, vision screenings, blood and lab tests, wound care, dialysis, pacemaker checks and dentist visits.
It does not take seniors for any appointment that requires anesthesia, rides from chemotherapy or emergency appointments.
"Now that the threat of COVID is waning, more folks are catching up on scheduling doctor and dental appointments they may have postponed over the past few years," said Executive Director Charlene Padovani in a news release.
Connections to Care crosses township boundaries, covering 14 municipalities, four townships and five medical facilities - NCH Hospital, Advocate/Lutheran General, Northshore/Glenbrook, Alexian Brothers and St. Alexius.
It also transports seniors to independent physician and dental offices.
"The average age of our clients is 85," Padovani said. "They tend to live on fixed incomes, often are unable to use other forms of transportation and require assistance with vision, hearing, or memory loss, which make it difficult to negotiate the distances and complexities of hospitals and medical facilities."
Volunteers with a valid license are always needed. Schedules are flexible - usually from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with some Saturdays. There is no heavy lifting, and seniors must be able to get in and out of a car on their own.
All drivers must be at least 21 years old, carry liability auto insurance and be fully vaccinated. The organization also carries additional liability insurance on all drivers.
To volunteer, visit www.connectionstocare.org.
"Providing seniors with rides is not just about ensuring transportation to vital medical and dental appointments," Padovani said in the release. "Drivers help ensure the dignity of their passengers, as well as provide company, conversation, and compassion."
Padovani talks about Connections to Care and how you can help.
Q: What is Connections to Care? Give a brief overview of what the organization does and who you serve.
A: Connections to Care is a nonprofit organization that provides seniors 60 and older rides to their medical and dental appointments in the Northwest suburbs.
Trained volunteer drivers pick up the rider at their home, drive them to their appointment, wait for them and return them home. Riders must be 60 and older, live within the service area, and be able to get into and out of a car independently (no wheelchairs).
Connections to Care helps seniors manage their own health care needs and age well in place within the community.
Q: How many people per year do you serve?
A: In 2022 we have provided approximately 2,000 rides.
Q: How many volunteers do you currently have?
A: 100 volunteer drivers and 15 additional volunteers (board members and office volunteers). About 50 drivers are active at this time, and we are in need of new ones to close the gap.
Q: What areas do you currently serve?
A: We currently serve 14 Northwest suburbs, including: Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights, Buffalo Grove, Park Ridge, Elk Grove Village, Des Plaines, Schaumburg, Barrington, Hoffman Estates, Inverness, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Wheeling.
Q: How can seniors sign up for your service?
A: Seniors can visit the website, connectionstocare.org, and submit an application.
They must call a minimum of seven days in advance of their appointments. Appointment requests can be made up to three months in advance.
We ask for a $15 donation for each round-trip; $7.50 for one-way rides.
For more information, call (847) 222-9227.
Q: Tell us what is expected of volunteers who help your program.
A: Volunteer drivers can choose their own schedule and how often they wish to drive: weekly, monthly or yearly. With our web-based system, volunteers simply go online and choose the rides that suit their lifestyle and schedule.
Q: How can people sign up to volunteer?
A: Go to our website, www.connectionstocare.org, and complete an application. Background and reference checks and a screening interview are done on each volunteer.
Q: How else can readers help if they can't volunteer their time?
A: We are always in need of donations, especially since COVID. Funding for Connections to Care is provided by client contributions, an annual appeal, caring benefactors and local grants.
Readers can also help by providing staff with opportunities to speak at community gatherings and to community and church groups about our services and need for volunteer drivers.
Q: What else would you like readers to know?
A: The average age of our rider is 85, and as this segment of the population increases, services such as Connections to Care are beyond necessary, they are critical.
These seniors no longer drive and many of these seniors do not have family or friends available to provide transportation to these necessary medical appointments, lab tests, screenings, X-rays and physical therapy.
Township buses are a great alternative, but they do not cross township lines and so a rider who lives in Schaumburg can't access treatment at Lutheran General, for example, with this mode of transportation.
• • •
Connections to Care
What: An Arlington Heights based nonprofit that offers seniors rides to medical appointments
Where: 1801 W. Central Road, Arlington Heights
To volunteer or to sign up for a ride: connectionstocare.org
Cost: $15 donation
Details: connectionstocare.org or (847) 222-9227