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Free Transportation for Senior Citizens: 11 Free Options

Free Transportation for Senior Citizens: 11 Free Options

This is my complete guide to Free Transportation for Senior Citizens.

It is no surprise that growing old comes along with endless challenges. These hurdles are engraved into routine activities which make basic provisions like transportation laborious and difficult to tackle.

Various organizations including the state recognize their difficulty and try to provide various forms of transportation aid. How to get affordable and free transportation for senior citizens? What are the various transportation options for seniors?

Let’s answer these questions and more.

Introduction

Introduction

The US government categorizes people of sixty two or older i.e. anyone of retirement age as senior citizens. These citizens face obstacles in everyday life with their deteriorating age and potentially unstable financial resources.

To ensure that they can go through their day facing the least difficulties, numerous programs and schemes targeting a number of needs have been introduced by the government as well as various non-profits. These needs also include transportation aid as well. Why do seniors need help with everyday commute and transportation while keeping medical emergencies aside?

The personal circumstances of each person vary but there is a huge fraction of senior citizens who are on the lookout for a reliable way to run daily errands or go to doctors appointments and don’t have anyone, family members or caretakers due to financial or personal reasons and thus need convenient transportation options to ensure independence and movement which is extremely crucial for them as it has direct repercussions on their physical and mental health.

Having transportation services for seniors enables and encourages them to be connected to their friends, family and community which can ultimately prove to be a great help to them.

Free and Affordable Transportation Services for Seniors

Free and Affordable Transportation Services for Seniors

Now that we have established the need of transportation help for seniors, let’s dive into the various forms of transportation services for older adults, their economic feasibility as well as the organizations that provide this senior help. It should be kept in mind that the provided transport senior service can be government-based and otherwise and thus its feasibility and availability are subject to availability.

Public Transit

Public transit refers to the various forms of public transportation which are the most basic form of commuting chosen by the maximum number of citizens due to its connectivity and affordability. Bus and rail services are primarily run, operated and financially backed by local, state and federal government and they tend to have fixed schedules and routes. Do they provide transportation help for seniors?

Yes, public transit provides local senior transportation services in the form of discounted fares and vouchers. Additionally, various transit agencies and local aging organizations provide transport related senior help in the form of free training to help riders navigate travel safety, But is it the safest option for senior citizens considering the huge rush that all forms of local public transportation face everyday?

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Even though public transportation tries to accommodate senior citizens to ensure senior care transportation by providing accessibility features, it may not be the best option for those seniors who face difficulty with walking, waiting or dealing with staircases. There are other transportation options for seniors who aren’t suited for such public transport which include ‘Paratransit’.

Paratransits

While discussing public transport senior service, it is crucial that we talk about Paratransits. What exactly is Paratransit and how does it contribute to senior transportation aid?

Let’s start by establishing that all public transit agencies are bound by the law to include complementary paratransit services for those citizens who are entirely unable to use the regular service lines. So how are these ‘complementary paratransit’ lines different from our routine lines?

hese lines run during the same hours as regular service hours. They also cover the normal comparable routes. Riders, including senior citizens looking for senior care transportation need to qualify the eligibility criteria which has been laid down by ADA, which stands for Americans With Disabilities Act. What exactly is ADA?

ADA or Americans With Disabilities Act was passed in 1990 is a civil rights law that protects the interests of disabled people and ensures that they are not discriminated against on the virtue of their condition. It can be best understood as an extended limb of 1964’s Civil Rights Act which bans discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex, national origin, etc.

This program, corresponding to its terms and conditions, also includes those senior citizens whose healths have deteriorated to the point where they qualify the required criteria to ensure their control over independent transportation through their regular senior activities. How to avail paratransit rides for seniors?

The process remains constant for everyone. Trips should be scheduled a day prior and are shared with people who have successfully booked similar times in their application.

Your request can be put in offline as well as online, preferably the later depending on your state of residence. As these are included in local senior transportation services, the application and working are bound to vary a bit across the country. Passengers are provided with a thirty-minute pickup window where they are advised to show up fifteen minutes early to avoid any hassle.

Country Public Transportation Services for Seniors

This is yet another form of local transportation for seniors. Most counties of the U.S. provide affordable or free transportation for senior citizens who require door-to-door rides. This is subject to location as well. How to locate local senior transportation services?

The easiest way to locate such senior care transportation services in your county, contact your Area Agency on Aging who will connect you to the required local senior transportation services.

Another way is to use ElderCareLocator which requires you to enter your zip code and it provides the required transportation options for seniors. Following is the link to their official website: https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Resources/LearnMoreAbout/Transportation.aspx

GoGoGrandparent

GoGoGrandparent

GoGoGrandparent can be best described as a concierge service that helps seniors get to on-demand ride services like Lyft and Uber. It is popular among various other transportation options for seniors as it can have a car at a senior’s location in minutes. Who is their senior help targeted at?

Currently, GoGoGranparent focuses on transportation services for older adults who can get it and get out of their cars without assistance. The overall cost of the ride varies but has been observed to be lower than routine taxi fares. How does GogoGrandparent work?

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Any senior citizen willing to avail of the ride for seniors by GoGoGrandparents can do so through any touch-phone to call the toll-free number to arrange a ride any time of day as live operators are live 24/7.

It should be noted that these rides are monitored and drivers screened for safety reasons. Notifications about the cab ride are sent to available family members through text to ensure that the senior passengers feel and are safe throughout the ride. They are also accommodative of walkers and foldable wheelchairs.

Veyo

Veyo

Veyo is a company that partners up with insurance companies and other healthcare institutes to provide non-emergency medical transportation aid which gets covered under insurance benefits.

They claim to be a proven, end-to-end solution to the logistics challenge of non-emergency medical transportation and to have ‘advancing performance of all modes, all geographies and all member needs.’  

Their insured senior help is directed towards those who need transport senior service in order to get to medical appointments and need special vehicles to accommodate wheelchairs and/or stretchers. Is their transport senior service really free? 

Absolutely yes if the senior applicant’s company offers Veyo as a transportation benefit. How can I avail Veyo’s transportation help for seniors?

The first step will be to enquire if Veyo is listed as one of the transportation benefits at the senior’s insurance company. If yes, you can avail of their aid but it should be noted that only a healthy organization partner and neither the senior nor his or her caregiver can sign up for the service or arrange rides.

Lyft

Lyft

Lyft is one of the most popular nationwide rideshare services. It has teamed up with a number of providers in order to provide affordable and free transportation for senior citizens. How is transport for older adults made easier by Lyft? Which seniors can avail transport the senior service from Lyft?

Those senior citizens who are currently receiving in-home care from agencies which are in partnerships with Care At Home are also eligible to receive free and discounted Lyft rides.

Even though Lyft does not provide free transportation for senior citizens, it does help them out. Seniors who use Jitterbug, which is the special cell phone designed for them, can also speed dial 0 to schedule and book an affordable Lyft ride through Great call.

Their affordable transportation services include first ride’s special coupon discounts, extensively background-checked drivers and the option to avail their senior help without any special apps or compulsion of own smartphones.

National Volunteer Transportation Center

It can be best understood as an organization whose central goal is to provide transportation solutions to all those who need it to build their life and sustain assistance when it comes to medical visits, errands, etc. These groups are present in all fifty states which provide affordable and even free local senior transportation services. Does the National Volunteer Transportation Center provide transportation services for seniors on their own?

Well, no but they connect people to groups that do. It partners with organizations like AlterNetWays foundation and runs AssistRides which connects senior citizens to affordable senior care transportation organizations which are made up of volunteer drivers.

Dial A Ride For Seniors

Also known as “paratransit,” or “demand-response service in various areas, Dial A Ride For Seniors is a well-known program that provides affordable and free senior transportation. These services are operated by the same transportation authorities that run local bus services in the area. Who all can avail of the affordable transportation services provided by Dial-A-Ride programs?

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The eligibility criteria to be kept in mind in order to avail of ride services for seniors are as follows: The senior should have a verifiable disability which makes it difficult for him or her to walk which can ultimately delay boarding a normal bus.

Additionally, the senior applicant should meet the income level and should be living alone or with another disabled family member. The requirements and acceptance for this program vary from city to city. Thus, it is best advised to call your nearest local transit authority and thoroughly understand the eligibility criteria.

When you look up ride services for seniors or affordable senior care transportation, you’ll be presented with endless links and options and you are bound to feel a little overwhelmed by the information provided. Following are some ways to start your hunt for the best-suited transport senior service:

Eldercare Locator

Eldercare Locator

This is a website which is run and operated by the federal government’s 

Administration for Community Living will direct you to your nearest Area Agency on Aging in order for you to receive the needed information and referrals so you can land transportation services for seniors that you are looking for. You can also contact Eldercare Locator via phone using the following number: 800-677-1116.

Mobility Managers

Mobility Managers

Individuals who work with communities to develop and help in running transportation programs are known as mobility managers. What do they have to do with affordable and free transportation for senior citizens?

Mobility managers focus on helping individual customers, particularly older, low-income and disabled citizens. In order to get a mobility manager closest to you, you can contact your local public transit agency, Center for Independent Living or Area Agency on Aging.

The 2-1-1 Program

The 2-1-1 Program

United Way or the 2-1-1 program helps people to get the information they need in order to connect to organizations that provide the needed help in order for the caller to make a well-educated decision.

They also provide information and referrals for health, social service, and transportation aid for senior citizens as well. The 2-1-1 toll-free telecommunications service is available in all fifty states of The U.S. You can also get information on their official website: 211.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently-Asked-Questions

Some frequently asked questions about ‘Free transportation for senior citizens have been answered below:

Does 2-1-1 Provide Affordable Transportation Services for Senior Citizens in All the States of the US?

211 or The United way doesn’t provide transportation services for older adults on their own but they connect people to organizations that do. You can get the required information through their toll-free number or official website throughout the country.

How Do Seniors Get Around Without a Car?

There are a lot of seniors who cannot or aren’t able to afford a car due to medical and financial setbacks caused by old age but they still need transportation aid in order to ensure independence in movement.

So they get around using the many transportation options for seniors that have been discussed in detail above.

Does the 2-1-1 Program Provide Help to All States in the United States?

Yes, the 2-1-1 extends its aid to all U.S. states.

The Article Comes to an End

There is help for everyone who needs it, a systematic and well-researched step into finding it is essential for everyone in need. Free and affordable transportation for senior activities without a car can feel like a dream but it is indeed possible.

It is essential that information about these programs be spread so that all senior citizens know about the various forms of aid that are present and they can live an easy life despite their ailing age.

Omari Mertz

Omari Mertz

Omari Mertz is our social media head and he is tasked with managing our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram handles. He is responsible for creating and posting content, monitoring and responding to comments and questions, and analyzing our social media metrics.

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