One of the biggest challenges seniors face in maintaining a social and independent lifestyle is having a suitable means of transportation, which is why NEMT van features matter. Many persons, either because of age or a disability, can’t attend functions without the assistance of friends and family.
In a bid to maintain the quality of lifestyle that many older folks have been used to, Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) exploits different ways of keeping seniors active. Moreover, missing medical appointments, or even a visit to the beach, could have lingering negative physical, mental, and emotional health impacts.
In this piece, we’ve compiled the NEMT van features you need to look for when considering a non-emergency medical transport van in a NEMT Company’s fleet.
Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Services
Non-emergency medical transportation provides accessible transportation to individuals who cannot readily transport themselves alone, in non-emergency situations. NEMT isn’t only offered by private companies, it’s also a core part of Medicaid in some states.
Typically, NEMT providers offer the following medical transportation services:
- Door-to-door or bed-to-bed services
- Appointment-based pick-up and drop-off
- Stretcher vehicles
- Wheelchair vans or ambulettes
Benefits of Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Services
During an emergency, a sick or injured person would typically request an ambulance from a hospital. However, when they’re not in an emergency, it could become a struggle to access social gatherings, medical care, etc.
Therefore, employing non-emergency medical transport vans, or other similarly useful vehicles, can help remove the hindrances and improve access for you, your loved ones, or disabled residents around you.
Moreover, NEMT services can also help reduce the overall costs of medical care. For instance, when patients keep medical appointments regularly, they avoid several fall-outs. These could result from irregular or missed doctor’s visits.
Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Equipment
Depending on the service you want from your NEMT Company, different vehicle components help with transportation in their own way. Your NEMT Company has different vehicular equipment options such as:
Ambulettes : Ambulettes are similar in size to some ambulances, but have specially designed and flexible layouts. Ambulettes are a good choice for non-emergency medical trips, for example, visits to some off-site health facilities.
Wheelers : Wheelchair-accessible vans have wheelers that make provision for passengers who have to be in wheelchairs.
Converted Vans : These allow the NEMT Company to convert an existing vehicle into one having ramps, lowered floors, etc. to accommodate a patient.
Key NEMT Van Features to Look Out For
Regardless of the kind of services you’re hiring the NEMT Company for, their medical transport vans must have the following features. The vans ought to meet ADA vehicle standards. We list some of them below:
- Their vans must have a lift or ramp (Wheelchair ramps must support at least three hundred pounds with the smallest slope possible)
- The vans must have a door height of between 56 to 58 inches.
- The floor of the vehicle, ramps, and the lifts must be slip-resistant
- The vehicles must have exterior lighting, and any stepwell or doorway must have interior lighting.
- The vans must have a securement attachment (at least one) that secures wheelchairs and other devices used to aid mobility.
