Safe bus travel with a rollator: Caritas and Stadtwerke train senior citizens
15.03.2024 – "It's very important that you don't hold on to the rollator when getting on the bus, but to the handles on the bus!" explains coach Suat Öztürk to the nine senior citizens who have come to the Rollator Fit bus training course this afternoon. "The bus is stable, but your rollator could tip over."
Every Thursday, the personal trainer works out with the group in the Lauterborn district office after the "Lauterborn Kitchen", a lunch for senior citizens organized by the district management and Caritas Offenbach. He shows the senior citizens strengthening exercises that help them master everyday life with a rollator. Bus training is on the program today.
Get in forwards, get out backwards
Suat Öztürk pushes the rollator onto the bus and explains to the participants what they need to pay attention to: When boarding the bus, the rollator should be pushed into the bus and the brakes applied. Only then should the senior citizens get on and hold on tightly to the handles on the door. On the bus itself, it is important to place the rollator in the free spaces opposite the rear door and find a seat yourself. "Always sit on the fixed seats, never on the rollator. The rollator can quickly tip over if the bus starts or has to brake," explains Suat Öztürk. "The folding seats here are there especially for you."
There are also a few things to bear in mind when getting off the bus: To avoid falling when getting off, it is important to always get off backwards and hold on to the handles on the door. Only then should you push the rollator out of the bus. This prevents the rollator from tipping forwards and the senior citizens from falling. After Suat Öztürk has explained and demonstrated how to get on and off the bus, he encourages the participants to practise it themselves.
Many older people are dependent on city buses
Many older people are dependent on the city buses, especially if they are no longer able to walk so well," says Antje Dins from Caritas Offenbach, who looks after the senior citizens' meeting place and is the neighborhood manager in Lauterborn. "It is therefore important that they know what to look out for in order to get around safely with a rollator."
Stadtwerke Offenbach is supporting the Caritas Offenbach campaign by providing a bus and driver.
Yoel Elias, Head of Operations at the municipal utility company Offenbacher Verkehrsbetriebe (OVB)The safety of our passengers is a priority for us. We are therefore delighted that Caritas is offering this training and are happy to support it.
"Our drivers are of course happy to help if someone needs assistance. However, it makes the day-to-day work of the drivers easier if passengers with a walking frame know how to get on and off the bus safely on their own," adds Yoel Elias.
Safety first
"I often travel by bus, but I never knew that you have to get off in reverse," says one of the course participants. "Here you can practise in peace, normally there's a lot of jostling at the doors and it has to be done quickly," says another senior citizen. The participants in the Rollator Fit course would like a little more patience from the other passengers. "Since I'm no longer able to walk so well, it just takes me longer to get on and off," explains one of the participants.
"Sometimes we have to brake sharply, for example because someone is walking into the road. Then it's important that passengers sit safely or hold on tightly to the grab handles," says Alfred Weinert. He has worked as a bus driver at OVB for 33 years and regularly assists with bus schools. Weinert encourages senior citizens to take their time getting on and off the bus. "Safety first," he emphasizes. "As long as the doors are open, we can't drive off. And anyone who needs help can press the help button next to the door and we drivers will be happy to help."