Daily driving service for active family member without a license.
October 26, 2024 11:18 AM   Subscribe

I have a relative who is fairly independant and active, with a fixed set of daily errands they do. They are no longer able to drive, and have been making do between Lyft and a friend network. I'm looking to set up something a bit more reliable for them; questions below the fold.

1) If I wanted to enlist a service to drive them around say 5 days a week, what search terms or genre of business am I looking for? I'm not after black-car type limo service, but beyond that I'm not sure what to look for.


2) Is there any analog to the Garrett Planning Network for such senior assistance services, to at least partly certify non-sketchiness?

Public transportation is not an option at all, unfortunately. Any other experience around this type of need is welcome.
posted by german_bight to Travel & Transportation (13 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
We have a local organization that compiles a list of services available to seniors. I see suitable services in both the “Transportation” and “Home Help” sections of my directory. Start by looking for referral services for seniors in your area and go from there.
posted by shock muppet at 11:33 AM on October 26


I completely understand that traditional public transit is not an option. Many people do not know about paratransit, which is, at least in my area, similar to a pooled Lyft but subsidized for those who can establish physical, visual, or cognitive disabilities that mean they cannot take traditional public transit. In my area, it’s door to door service; in others, it’s not. Availability and qualification requirements vary by location. If you have already considered this and it is not an option in your situation or location, please ignore me.
posted by moosetracks at 11:41 AM on October 26 [5 favorites]


Where is your relative?
posted by fritley at 11:45 AM on October 26


Response by poster: Relative is in the East Bay area of California, south of Oakland.
posted by german_bight at 11:52 AM on October 26


Paratransit is worth looking into, for sure.

GoGo Grandparent is a concierge for app services like rideshares, groceries, or prescription pickup. They can handle advance scheduling and relatively complicated requests like multi-stop trips, very specific access needs (down to model of car that is comfortable), plus all you do is talk to someone on the phone to do it. Once you have an account, they keep notes and can set it up so you don't have to keep negotiating preferences.

Another option, if there is a driver your relative likes and has a good feeling about, is to just ask if they are interested in working off the app and work something out from there.
posted by blnkfrnk at 12:43 PM on October 26 [2 favorites]


In my city, we have something called Volunteer Chore Services that provides free rides for seniors to wherever they want to go. I googled your area but could only find volunteer rides to medical appointments. However, I did find this.
posted by SageTrail at 1:38 PM on October 26


You may actually be after a black car service. In NYC, they offer random trips in regular cars as well (think taxis, basically--some became green cabs). I don't know if that's true in the East Bay, but it might be worth a phone call.

It's also worth calling churches because this is a problem they often solve from both sides -- arranging transport for elderly parishoners and finding people odd jobs.
posted by hoyland at 2:19 PM on October 26


Relative is in the East Bay area of California, south of Oakland.

In that area, for paratransit, you're looking at AC Transit's Paratransit. There is an application process.

Because it is going to affect the services that will work for the circumstances, could you give a little more detail on your relative's routine? Is their "fixed set of daily errands" one that is always done in the same order? At the exact same times? How far apart are these errands? How many of them are there? Like, AC Transit's paratransit requires you call by 5 pm the day before, and it comes within a 30 minute window, it's not exactly on-demand if circumstances change or anything happens.
posted by Pandora Kouti at 3:01 PM on October 26


Response by poster: I had thought that paratransit was solely for rides from home to transit site, e.g. BART or a bus stop, but reading more, it looks like I'll need to dig deeper on that.

The main daily destination is to care for a horse who lives in a stable up in the hills.
posted by german_bight at 3:44 PM on October 26


My parents found a driver through a Facebook group for Uber/Lyft alternatives. They just use him for hr+ rides to their “local” airport, but I could imagine their dude being amenable to a daily gig if it was in the right location.
posted by A Blue Moon at 8:52 PM on October 26 [1 favorite]


I would look on Care.com or otherwise for a caregiver with an emphasis on driving as part of the job. This might also be something you could schedule through a caregiving service.
posted by samthemander at 12:22 AM on October 27 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Thanks to everyone who has chimed in--there is a lot to investigate here, and I was not aware of most of it.
posted by german_bight at 12:08 PM on October 27


Paratransit has a few limitations - the big one is "Service is limited to areas within ¾ mile of an operating bus route or BART station." Depending on where the stable is located, it may not qualify as covered destination.
posted by metahawk at 10:31 PM on October 27


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