From grocery trips to doctor appointments — seniors in assisted living need access to accommodating, reliable rides to get where they need to go. Uber, a ride service company, is specifically helping seniors with their transportation needs through their UberASSIST service.
Learn more about how UberASSIST is affecting assisted living transportation in cities across the U.S.
New Transportation Comes to Assisted Living
Many senior living communities offer transportation services to residents various times a week, but sometimes that’s not enough.
Perhaps a resident needs to visit the grocery story more often or make more frequent trips to the doctor. What would they do if their needs don’t fit with the scheduled assisted living transportation? Additionally, what would they do if they found transportation, but found out that the transportation wasn’t wheelchair accessible?
The answer? Have UberASSIST ride services help out.
UberASSIST Rides Help Transport Seniors in Assisted Living
According to Senior Housing News, UberASSIST “allows those needing an extra hand or access to wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV) to request safe and reliable rides at the tap of a button.”
The article explains: “Individuals access the services just as they would a standard Uber ride via the company’s smartphone app, only now they will select “UberWAV” on the vehicle icon slider. UberWAV allows users to select a vehicle based on their needs by choosing between two options: UberWAV or uberASSIST.”
Both UberWAV and UberASSIST have drivers who have received safety training for accessibility needs. Specifically:
1. UberWAV vehicles can accommodate riders who need a wheelchair accessible vehicle with a ramp or hydraulic lift.
2. UberASSIST can help riders needing accommodation of folding wheelchairs, walkers or scooters.
3. Neither vehicle, however, have an accessible ramp.
In addition, Uber rides can be arranged anywhere from 24 hours ahead of time to 15 minutes ahead according to Chris Ballard, general manager of Uber San Diego, where the service recently launched.
Finding a Community with Assisted Living Transportation
AssistedLiving.com has more than 200 Senior Living Advisors who have knowledge of assisted living in their area, and can send you a list of communities in UberASSIST ride cities that meet your family’s needs.
Contact us to get started, and make sure to let your Advisor know that you’re looking for a community in an UberASSIST city, like: Houston, New York City, Philadelphia or San Diego.
