County helps seniors get to medical visits
By Sunayana Prabhu
Monmouth County has added a new program to ensure seniors stay healthy and never miss a doctor’s appointment because they couldn’t find a ride.
The county is offering free rides for those 60 and older to help them get to their medical appointments without worrying about transportation logistics.
The Healthy Hop program is a free, local service provided by the Monmouth County Office of Aging in collaboration with the nonprofit Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey (CVCJ), headquartered in Toms River. It currently offers one round-trip per week per person through an on-demand service run by volunteers who arrange Ubers, Lyfts or local taxis for registered county seniors.
“I don’t have to inconvenience anybody,” said Holmdel resident Albert Schramm, who has used the service four times since its soft launch in July.
Schramm learned about the Healthy Hop program through his wife who attended a presentation at a neighborhood senior’s club. He noted the service is particularly helpful when the doctor recommends someone to drive you back home after a test.
Rides are available for medical appointments like lab work, physical therapies and minor procedures (those not requiring anesthesia), explained Megan O’Keefe, executive director of CVCJ. The organization received $340,000 from the county’s American Rescue Plan funds for an 18-month contract with transportation services.
O’Keefe noted that 70% of the funds received are to offset trip costs; the program has organized 400 rides in its first quarter and 500 people have signed up for the program so far.
O’Keefe said they expect to provide over 10,000 rides in total.
The nonprofit aims to address social isolation faced by many seniors due to a dearth of accessible and reliable transportation not just in Monmouth County but all over the state.
“If you don’t drive, you tend to become more isolated, you need more of a support network and things can go downhill pretty fast,” O’Keefe said, noting isolation can contribute to “cognitive decline” in older adults.
Members may call CVCJ’s office to book a ride between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. They can also use an Uber smartphone app to book their return trip.
While the nonprofit does not guarantee the availability or quality of Uber, Lyft or local taxi services, “Uber and Lyft have very similar safety measures to ensure passenger safety,” O’Keefe said. Their drivers undergo a comprehensive background check including their criminal history and driver record. To ensure additional passenger safety, O’Keefe said CVCJ monitors the dispatchers in real-time with GPS tracking. “We can see where they are at any point in their ride between pickup and drop off.”
O’Keefe said volunteers also communicate with the drivers in real-time, “particularly if (the passengers) are more elderly or frail and may not be able to communicate that effectively with the driver.”
To use the Healthy Hops transportation service, Monmouth County seniors must register by filling out a brief application that can be submitted online through the CVCJ website or mailed to CVCJ’s office at St. Robert Bellarmine parish in Freehold. Those uncomfortable with the internet can get help filling out the application over the phone with a volunteer. Once the application is reviewed, CVCJ will issue a Healthy Hops membership card with all the necessary information for safe and efficient transport.
Passengers must be able to get in and out of the car with minimal assistance; canes and walkers can be accommodated, however, wheelchairs cannot, per program guidelines.
The article originally appeared in the October 19 – 25, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
