When Dad stops driving, or stops driving far, the first call is usually to a ride service, and the first quote is rarely the whole story. The cost of getting him to an appointment depends on a handful of things you can see before you book, so look at those first.
Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.
Start with the trip, not the company
Write down the trips he actually makes in a month: the clinic, the pharmacy, the lab, the eye doctor, the barber. Note each address, whether he walks with a cane or a walker, and whether he needs help from the car to the door. Those details decide which vehicle comes, how long the driver stays, and what gets billed. A plan built for one trip a month will not fit three trips in one week.
What pushes the cost up
Waiting time is the usual surprise. If the driver has to sit in the lot while the appointment runs long, ask whether that time is billed and in what increments. Same-day rides often cost more than rides booked days ahead. Evenings, weekends, and holidays can change the rate. A round trip may count as two separate trips, and a return ride that is not booked with the outbound one can leave him stranded in a waiting room. Extra help at the door, a wheelchair, or a larger vehicle can change the price too.
What brings it down
Group appointments on the same day when the clinic allows it. Ask whether a standing weekly ride can cover his regular visits, since a fixed schedule is easier for a service to plan than a scramble each time. For short errands, ask whether a neighbor or a family member can take him, and save the paid rides for trips that really need them. Let him help choose the schedule. He will be more willing to ride when the time was his choice.
Before you book the first ride
Ask the company these questions and write the answers down: What is the charge for a round trip from his door to the clinic door? Does waiting count, and for how many minutes? What happens if the clinic runs late or he is not ready on time? How far ahead must a ride be booked, and what is the cancellation rule? Is the driver trained to help someone who uses a walker? Get the answers before he is in the car, and keep the paper with his appointment list.
If you are not sure which local options exist, the local help page for a widowed father in St. Louis is a place to start your list.