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closeEditor's Column: Shoppers Express is proven invaluable
Heather Meier/of The Herald
When Margaret Aveson lost her driver’s license a few years ago, a considerable sense of independence left with it.
“I miss my car more than anything,” she said.
After a lifetime of driving, she hates having to rely on others to get her from one place to the next, which is why the Puyallup Activity Center’s Shoppers Express is something of a lifesaver for Margaret.
“It gets me out of the house,” Aveson said.
The program started almost two and a half years ago, after the senior advisory board did a survey and learned many seniors struggled with not being able to drive, explained Dorothy Holmes, one of the escorts who accompanies seniors on the excursion.
There are a number of seniors at the center who are unable to drive, said Mary Butler, another escort for the trips.
“It’s a much bigger issue than we’re aware of,” she said.
They become limited to going places they can walk to or when loved ones can take them somewhere.
Butler teaches the defensive driving course at the center and tells seniors to avoid quitting driving as long as possible. Studies show, she said, that someone’s health begins to deteriorate after losing their license. She attributes it to the socialization.
But giving up your license isn’t always unavoidable. In those cases, the Shoppers Express serves a real purpose beyond allowing seniors to shop.
“Interaction with people, I think, is a big thing,” Holmes said. “They love riding on the bus. There’s a lot of communication and camaraderie.”
Holmes and Butler are amazed, though, that so few people take advantage of the monthly outing. The bus seats up to 15 people but Dorothy doesn’t think she’s ever seen more than seven people on one of the trips. And there’s never been a man who has joined the group.
The seniors who go say they look forward to the event and the chance to see portions of Puyallup they don’t otherwise see.
“It’s a marvelous opportunity,” said Colleen Ruffer.