Older adults need rides. Why aren’t they using Lyft and Uber? The New York Times recently posed this question in an article that examined how seniors use (or more often, don’t use) ridesharing services.

“In a survey by AARP last year, only 29 percent of those over 50 had used ride-hailing apps. Two-thirds said they weren’t likely to do so in the coming year, citing in part concerns about safety and privacy,” author Paula Nelson said.

While Nelson mentioned several ways ridesharing services are making themselves more inviting for older adults – such as partnering with hospitals and independent living facilities – she forgot one key player in the rideshare game: Jewish Family Service of San Diego!

For the past two years, our On the Go: Navigator program has partnered with Lyft to offer independence, mobility, and dignity to older adults in San Diego. Each ride begins with a phone call to our friendly ride operators (no smartphone necessary!) An operator then coordinates with nearby Lyft drivers to pick up the caller and monitors the ride in real-time to ensure everything goes smoothly. Personal and financial information isn’t shared with Lyft in order to maintain the caller’s privacy. And unlike other transportation options for older adults, Navigator doesn’t require a reservation several days in advance to schedule a ride. Our operators can book a Lyft within an hour’s notice, allowing older adults to maintain flexibility and independence as they age. From start to finish we prioritize safety and client satisfaction.

This past March, Navigator won the Pillars of Excellence in Innovation award from the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies. We’ve replicated the program in Kansas City, Atlanta, and Anaheim with incredible success, and we hope to see the program expand nationwide as more older adults find themselves in need of on-demand transportation.

So, why aren’t older adults using Lyft or Uber? In San Diego and other cities where Navigator is available, they are! We’ve already entered the Golden Years of senior ridesharing.

Read the full New York Times article here.

Check out more info on Navigator here: On the Go Navigator Flyer