Getting Around When You Stop Driving

Suppose a retired pharmacist, 81, stopped driving last spring after a talk with her eye doctor. Her house is paid off and she wants to stay. Now she needs a way to reach the grocery store, her heart doctor, and choir practice on Thursdays.

Giving up the car does not mean giving up your life at home, but it takes planning. This guide explains the main ways to get around without driving and how their prices are set. It covers programs that lower the cost, ride apps and how to use them safely, and how another person can help.

This guide does not tell anyone when to stop driving. That decision belongs to you, your doctor, and the people you trust.

Why getting around matters for staying home

Many people live years past their driving years. One national study looked at people in their early 70s who stop driving. It estimated that men will need other ways to get around for about 7 years, and women for about 10 years¹.

Those years matter. Researchers at Columbia University found that stopping driving nearly doubled the risk of signs of depression. Former drivers were nearly five times as likely to move into a nursing home, assisted living, or retirement home².

The lesson is not that driving forever is the answer. It is that reliable rides help keep doctor visits, groceries, worship, and friendships in reach. Those are the things that make staying home work.

What it is: the ways to get around

• Rides from people you know. Family, friends, neighbors, or another person in the home.
• Public transit. Buses and trains that run on set routes and schedules, called "fixed route" service.
• Paratransit. Shared rides that pick you up near your door, for people whose disability keeps them from using regular buses or trains. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires transit agencies to offer it³.
• Volunteer driver programs. Nonprofits and faith groups that offer rides for free or a small fee⁴.
• Medicaid rides to medical care. Free rides to the doctor and other care for people on Medicaid.
• Taxis and rideshare apps. Rides you book and pay for yourself.

How the cost is set

Transit agencies set their own fares, within federal rules. Taxi and rideshare companies set their own prices. These usually change with distance and time of day. Volunteer programs decide whether to ask for a fee or a donation.

Keeping a car has its own price. As of September 2026, the auto club AAA estimates that owning and running a new vehicle costs $12,863 a year⁵. An older, paid-off car costs less, but insurance, gas, and repairs go on.

What you get in return

• Public transit takes you along set routes. You walk to and from the stop.
• Paratransit picks you up and drops you off within three-fourths of a mile of a bus route. You can book the day before. The agency can shift your pickup by up to one hour. A personal care attendant can ride with you, plus one more companion⁶.
• Medicaid rides go to medical care only, not to the store or to church.
• Taxis and rideshare come when you call, but the driver is not there to help you inside.

Original Medicare does not pay for ordinary rides to the doctor. It covers ambulance trips when any other vehicle could put your health at risk. It also covers some non-emergency ambulance trips with a written doctor's order⁷.

Rides from apps, and how to use them safely

Some ride services now make it easier for older adults to ride, and for family to help from afar. Here are three examples, not recommendations.

• Uber Family profile and Uber Caregiver. A family member can add an older adult to their Family profile. The family member can then book and pay for rides and follow each trip live. Rides can also be booked by phone at 1-833-USE-UBER (1-833-873-8237)⁸. Uber Caregiver also lets a caregiver book rides and join a group chat with the driver⁹.
• Lyft Silver. A version of the Lyft app made for older adults. It has larger text and cars that are easier to get in and out of. Live phone support is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time. Trusted contacts can see ride details as the trip happens¹⁰.
• GoGoGrandparent. A service that books Uber and Lyft rides by phone, plus grocery, meal, and prescription delivery. No smartphone or app is needed. It watches each ride, and family you approve can get updates. It charges a membership plus a fee on top of each fare. Call 1-855-464-6872 for current prices¹¹.

Safety steps for any rideshare or taxi ride:

• Before you get in, match the license plate, car, and driver photo to the app. Never get into a car you did not request¹².
• Ask, "Who are you here to pick up?" Let the driver say your name instead of giving it.
• Sit in the back, so you can get out on either side away from traffic. Wear your seat belt¹³.
• Share your trip so family can follow it on a map.
• For a taxi, use a licensed cab. Write down the cab number and the driver's name¹⁴.
• Hang up on calls or texts that ask for your password, a code, or bank details. Uber says it never asks for these¹⁵. Contact the company through its app instead.

Ways to lower the cost

• Reduced fares on public transit. Transit systems that get certain federal money must offer a discount in quieter hours. Older adults and people with disabilities pay no more than half the rush-hour fare. "Older adults" must include everyone 65 and older¹⁶. Ask your transit agency for its reduced fare card.
• Paratransit. The fare can be no more than twice the full fare for the same trip by bus¹⁷. Apply through your local transit agency.
• Medicaid rides. Every state Medicaid program must make sure people get needed rides to and from medical care¹⁸. States may ask you to show a need, such as no license or no working car¹⁹. Call your state Medicaid agency or your Medicaid health plan.
• Medicare Advantage ride benefits. In 2026, 22% of people in individual Medicare Advantage plans were in plans offering transportation.²⁰. Check your plan's benefits, and ask how many rides are covered.
• Area Agency on Aging and volunteer rides. Your Area Agency on Aging can tell you about local ride programs. Call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 to find yours, or search Rides in Sight by ZIP code.

Programs, fares, and waiting lists vary by state, county, and city. Your Area Agency on Aging is the best first call. Other costs of keeping a home include repairs, utilities, and property taxes. For help, see Help with housing costs, state by state.

What can change it

A change in health may mean you now qualify for paratransit or Medicaid rides. Your Medicare plan's ride benefit can change from year to year, so check it each fall. If someone moves into your home who drives, rides may become easier to arrange.

If rides become part of a home sharing arrangement in exchange for lower rent, write it down. Rent and reduced rent can raise questions; see Will Sharing My Home Affect My Benefits? and Taxes on Rent From a Room, in Plain Words.

An extra set of hands

Another person in the home can make getting around easier. So can a helpful family member, friend, or neighbor.

• What it accomplishes. A ride to the pharmacy, a trip for groceries, and help carrying the bags inside. As of October 2026, hiring someone for errands costs about $28 an hour on average²¹.
• What it protects. A second person at an appointment can help you remember what the doctor said. In one study, 38% of older Medicare patients brought a companion to routine visits. Patients were more satisfied when companions took part²². After a procedure with more than local anesthetic (numbing one spot), anesthesia guidance says you must leave with a responsible person²³.
• What it preserves. Your say over your own schedule, and the visits themselves. Let a volunteer driver, a shared ride, or someone in the home cover the pharmacy run. Then time with family can be a visit, not an errand. You choose where to go without asking a favor for every trip.
• What it offers. Company on the way, a stop for coffee, and a way to keep going to worship, clubs, and visits with friends.

Help like this is optional and agreed in advance. Driving someone is not caregiving. No one should be expected to give personal or medical care. Car repairs belong to licensed professionals. So do household jobs like roofs, electrical, plumbing, gas, or anything on a ladder above the first floor. See Help Around the House Is Not Caregiving.

Watch for

• Lending your car. If someone else will drive your car, call your insurance agent first. Our guide The Call to Make to Your Insurance Agent lists questions to ask.
• Switching plans for a ride benefit. Before changing Medicare plans for rides, check that your doctors and drugs are covered. A free State Health Insurance Assistance Program counselor can help you compare.

Conversation starters

If you are an adult child or friend talking with an older adult:

• "Where do you most want to keep going each week?"
• "Would it help if we looked up the ride programs near you together?"
• "Could we set up a regular day when I drive you to errands?"

If you are an older adult talking with family or caregivers:

• "I want to keep going to church and to my club. Can we plan rides for that?"
• "Would you come with me to my next doctor's appointment and take notes?"
• "Before I sell the car, I'd like to know what my other options cost."

Reliable rides help keep doctor visits, groceries, worship, and friendships in reach. Those are the things that make staying home work.

Last reviewed October 15, 2026