ORLANDO, Fla. — It can be hard for any senior citizen to get to their medical appointments — but imagine how difficult it becomes when someone doesn't have transportation, and doesn't speak English.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, such issues lead to infrequent medical visits, cultural barriers, and issues with medical insurance, which can all threaten an individual's health.

This Asian American, Asian Islander, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) month, one community leader in Central Florida is helping break down those barriers and get those in need where they need to go.

As the leader of the of Long Van Temple, the Vietnamese American Buddhist temple in Orlando, Vi Ma Stolz spends a lot of time in her car. She has a passion for helping others and is constantly checking in on those in her community that might need her help.

Many of those people are seniors, like 75-year-old Hong Dan Thi Tran, who does not speak English but came to the U.S. 40 years ago in search of a better life.

“Just like all other boat people, I came here for freedom, and that is what makes me really excited to be in the United States,” said Tran, with Stolz translating.

Six years ago, she decided to move from Pensacola to Orlando to be closer to her brother’s family.

“As a senior I found out that Orlando is not such an aggressive living atmosphere, like a retirement city,” said Tran. “People care for each other here more than in the north.”

She now lives with husband near her extended family, a situation Stolz says benefits a lot of elderly people in the Asian community.

“I can feel them united and makes the community grow and stronger," Stolz said. "Especially, I admire the seniors that they try to take good care of each other themselves."

However, as she has aged, Tran said she’s run into some health issues with her eyes and ears. Without speaking the language and without transportation, she said getting to the doctor has been a challenge.

And she’s not alone: According the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health, nearly 31% of Asian Americans are not fluent in English.

“It’s kind of, like, hard, especially the language barrier,” Tran said.

Tran just had eye surgery and needs to follow up with her doctor, something she wouldn’t be able to do without Stolz’s help. It’s a problem Stolz sees often in Orlando as she volunteers to drive seniors where they need to go to get medical attention.

“If they have a lot of children in the family, of course, they all get help for transportation to visit doctors or got to the pharmacy or go to grocery," Stolz said. "However, a lot of family that is very limited on immediate family members, they won’t be able to."

Even technology has not been a way for them to solve this problem.

“A lot of them call Uber, but the problem with Uber is they don’t have Vietnamese Uber, so it’s a struggle for them as well," Stolz said. "So I think that my goal that I look forward for in the future, is that we have more senior or medical transportation … they should have all the diverse multicultural languages workers."

Until then Stolz said she plans to continue to get behind the wheel and help, and encourages others in the community to do the same.