You have been driving your parent to appointments for a while, and at some point the car stopped being a convenience and became equipment you have to fit to a person. Nobody measured it. You lift, shuffle, and hope. Here is the check to run once, on paper and in the driveway, so the next ride is not a negotiation at the curb.
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 seat, not the car
Sit your parent in the passenger seat the way they would sit on the ride, and look at three things. First, compare the seat height with the height of the chair they use at home. Second, see whether the seat slides back far enough for their legs to clear the door frame. Third, see whether the seat reclines or raises. A low sedan seat and a tall SUV seat ask for different moves, so write down which one you have and which one the clinic expects you to use.
Measure the door opening and the swing
Open the passenger door fully in the spot where you usually park. Check what is behind it: a curb, a post, a mailbox, a hedge. If the door cannot open wide enough for your parent to pivot in, the transfer has nowhere to go. Also measure the gap between the car and the curb or the step, because that gap is where the move is hardest. Write both numbers on the same card as the seat height so you are comparing measurements rather than memories.
Test the transfer, not the idea of it
Ask your parent's physical therapist or the clinic which transfer they trained on, and ask them to show you once. Then do a dry run in the driveway with the engine off and you standing on the side you will use. Note who holds what, where your parent's feet go, and whether the walker or wheelchair can be reached without twisting. If the training was for a different car, say so and ask whether it needs a re-check. Do not invent a new method because the usual one felt hard that morning. That is a question for the clinic, not a guess for you.
Check the stow and the second pair of hands
Measure the trunk opening and the floor height against the folded walker or wheelchair. Lift the device once while empty, then picture lifting it with groceries in the same trip. If it does not fit, or you cannot lift it alone, that is a fit answer too. Decide now whether the ride needs a second adult, and who that will be: a family member, a friend, or a paid driver. If you are considering a paid driver, get the scope in writing. Ask whether they will help with the transfer, wait with your parent, or only drive, and what happens if the appointment runs long.
What to decide before the next ride
Write down four answers: the seat setting that works, the spot where you will park, who helps with the transfer, and who helps with the device. If any of the four is blank, that is the gap to close before the appointment, not during it.
If the ride is becoming the hardest part of your week, you are allowed to tell the clinic that and ask what other options exist. The Local Help for Caregivers in St. Louis page is a good place to start looking for local programs. You do not need the whole plan before you ask. If you want to see how this site chooses what it cites, the How We Write page explains it.