Attending: Tips for Finding Transportation to Church, Synagogue, Mosque or Other House of Worship.
Millions of people find joy and community in weekly attendance at a religious worship service. One of the drawbacks of America’s car-centric infrastructure is that transportation becomes a barrier when a person cannot drive themselves or afford a car. It contributes to increased isolation and loneliness, especially if they can no longer attend religious services. Sadly, that is the plight of many seniors and handicapped individuals.
This is a problem healthcare professionals and caregivers can help solve. With just a bit of effort they may be able to help locate transportation. Finding a place of worship that offers their own transport services is ideal because they will ensure on-time arrival on the most relevant days.
Thankfully, many places of worship offer transportation services on significant worship days. Check with the person’s preferred place of worship to see if they offer van rides to patrons. If not, a conversation with the leadership may result in finding a volunteer who is willing to offer transportation.
At one church I attended, there was a blind woman who needed transportation. Various church members took turns providing rides to get her to church on Wednesdays and weekends. Sharing the task ensured she always had a ride without overburdening one person.
If a person's current place of worship cannot accommodate them, they may need to switch to a different location that includes this service. Begin the search for a local place that offers transportation services. Large worship communities are most likely to offer this service and frequently the transport is free. If no local options are available, consider broadening the search to neighboring communities or towns.
A call to a local senior community center is usually a good resource. They may be familiar with local options. The chaplain at a medical facility may also be familiar with local places of worship that offer transportation. If neither of these options work, an Internet search may be fruitful. If that does not produce results, then the search will require calling local places of worship to ask each one what they offer. Clergy are often familiar with other places of worship in their town and may be best prepared to help locate a suitable congregation.
Another option is to inquire if a local senior or handicap transport service, sometimes called paratransit, can provide the service when needed. In some places, paratransit services have limited hours on weekends. A case manager may be a good resource to learn about local services. Alternatively, an internet search for paratransit services in the person's community may be useful. These services may not be available in rural areas.
A third option is to use an app-based ride share or taxi service. Taxi services often operate via phone call and may be more user friendly for seniors. App-based ride share services like Uber can be excellent for this purpose also. One barrier to use is technology. They require competence with a smart phone to order. However, they can be ordered remotely by a family member. The below link provides instructions on ordering an Uber for someone else. Most ride-share companies offer this feature. (Request a Ride for Someone Else | Uber Rider App) These services may also be lacking in rural communities.
Some may worry about the cost of these services. They will certainly cost more than other options mentioned above. However, if they are only used once a week for worship attendance the cost may be manageable. Many seniors prefer to only attend worship services one or two times per month. So that can also help keep costs down.
A final solution can be to find a worship service option that requires no transportation. Many long-term care and senior living facilities have weekly worship services on-site. Sometimes residents are unaware of these services. If the facility has no services, or they are not of the appropriate religion, it may be possible to find a clergy in town who would be willing to start holding a service at that facility.
For those that are homebound, it may be more appropriate to bring a service to their home rather than transport them to a place of worship. Some religious communities offer visitation to the homebound. Some Christian groups call this shut-in ministry. In Judaism this is called bikur cholim or bikkur holim. In Islam, it is called iyadah. The point is that nearly all religious traditions offer this service.
Finding a solution to this problem of worship service attendance is often simple but sometimes may require significant legwork. The case manager or occupational therapist may be helpful in this regard. A chaplain may also assist. Sharing the work between multiple people can help reduce the burden on any one individual. Additionally, educating the patient on self-advocacy can help them take the initiative to find the transportation that they need. Sometimes a call from the person to the clergy directly can work miracles. You never know until you try.
By David F. Garner OTR/L, AC
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