NaCCRA Forum: Resident Life

Barry, I looked into gogograndparent a few years back, and that seems to be a great solution. Good luck, and I hope it works out for you.

Linda Kilcrease

Resident of a CCRC

I live in the 2,000-resident Wind Crest community, in the suburbs south of Denver.

About 100 residents have given up their cars because of medical reasons and/or cost issues. And many of those have vision issues or other difficulties using an Uber or Lyft app on their smartphone.

Wind Crest provides off-campus rides with community staff drivers and vehicles, but that's very costly ($6 per mile, limited to 30-mile round trip, requiring reservations days in advance). and Wind Crest maintains no business-contract with Uber or Lyft, so it's not an option for a Wind Crest front-desk concierge to book the ride for the Senior.

In response, our volunteer resident Tech Helpers team provided training sessions to car-less residents on how to install and use the Lyft and/or Uber app on their smartphone. But those sessions taught us that many need an easier-to-use solution.

We now instead recommend GoGoGrandparent.com That's a national concierge-services organization, based at a toll-free 800 number in San Francisco. In exchange for becoming a subscribing member for as little as $10 per month, a Senior can set up a detailed transportation-needs-and-locations profile with GoGo. Then, the resident can book a ride with Uber or Lyft merely by placing a phone-call to the GoGo 800 number.

GoGo then sends a vetted driver and vetted car (large enough for a walker or wheelchair, if applicable) to the precise pick-up location on the Senior's profile. GoGo can optionally set up text message notifications to the Senior's family member or friend, to provide secure notifications as the Senior's ride progresses. Return travel is equally easy. Overall cost (including the monthly subscription fee) is not much more than what it would cost to simply pay Uber or Lyft, because GoGo has negotiated favorable pricing with Uber and Lyft.

I'm now recommending GoGoGrandparent.com to our car-less Seniors at Wind Crest, for their ride needs with Uber and Lyft.

-Barry

I live at Vi at Highlands Ranch in Colorado. Vi has a business account with Uber. Our concierge will call Uber for residents to arrange a ride. Charges are billed to the resident by Vi with their monthly services. Uber charges a 10% surcharge for the business account, which is included in the charge to residents.

For some reason I cannot edit my prior post. The community also has a free weekday van that goes every half hour to the local little mall that even has movies. Also, to 2 grocery stores, 2 banks, 2 pharmacies.

Linda Kilcrease

Resident of a CCRC

I brought up to our community how residents could not find a reasonable cost, safe ride home when they went to the hospital ER and were released without admittance, often middle of the night. They could pay maybe $100 to take the EMS "car" back to the campus. The result is now an agreement with a taxi company - a voucher system. When the taxi gets to the campus, they pick up a voucher for payment at the front entry gate. The resident makes no payment at that time, the charge is on their monthly statement via the voucher. The cost to go from the hospital, as an example (they can call the taxi from anywhere), to the campus is reasonable, based on mileage.

For other rides, a resident can call Lyft or Uber anytime like anyone can. The community also has a price sheet for an on-demand vehicle. That cost is based on regions with a regional cost that is roundtrip. Best if you can plan in advance. There is a community shuttle "on demand" service for stops within a mile radius that can take you to local medical appts and shops/banks, that is low cost. Round trip to medical is $13, to anywhere within a mile is $20.

Linda Kilcrease

Resident of a CCRC

Does your community have any kind of "special" relationship with Uber or Lyft to supplement the transportation service provided to residents?

I've heard that obtaining a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) is becoming more involved, plus even school systems are short bus drivers. The smaller "jaunts" (to appointments, to the airport, etc.) can be provided in vans, buses, and cars that don't require CDLs, but I think those jobs are also hard to fill.

Some CCRCs have turned to an arrangement with, say, Uber. The Front Desk or concierge service or Security of the CCRC arranges for the Uber pick-up. The credit card on the account is that of the CCRC, and the fee incurred then goes on one's monthly statement.

Do any of you out there have this sort of arrangement? If so, could you share how it works.

Thanks!

Jennifer Young

The Village at Brookwood, Burlington NC