A West Coast-based home care provider has teamed up with a senior services company and Uber in a new on-demand transportation program. RideWith24, the new service established with 24Hr HomeCare and Uber, is just the latest example of home care companies partnering with ride service businesses in California and throughout the country.

24Hr HomeCare began a partnership with uberASSIST last fall to give seniors an on-demand option for transportation from hospitals to their homes for an affordable price. The service enables seniors to utilize Uber’s on-demand services through a familiar care company to get where they need to go.

Seniors connected to Age Well Senior Services, an Orange County company that offers community-based medical transportation, health and wellness programs, lunch programs and Meals on Wheels, will be able to call 24Hr HomeCare for on-demand transportation from their home to wherever they would like at any time of the day.

The service is specific to South Orange County and is 80-90% more cost efficient than taking a taxi, according to 24Hr HomeCare. The cost for a RideWith24 ride will cost as much as a standard Uber ride plus a small management fee to 24Hr Home.

RideWith24’s Uber drivers are trained by Open Doors Organization, a non-profit organization that seeks to improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities, to properly accommodate wheelchairs, walkers and other mobility aids. 24Hr HomeCare teamed up with Uber drivers trained by Open Doors through its UberASSIST program last fall. Drivers are also trained to help seniors recently discharged from hospitals get home.

RideWith24 doesn’t require seniors to own a smartphone or download the Uber app. Instead, they can place a call to 24Hr HomeCare with their pick-up address and destination, then a driver will be sent out. Everything can be done over a phone call.

“If Age Well had a senior who needed to go to urgent care in the middle of the night, they would talk to someone over the phone who is awake and attentive,” Gavin Ward, regional director of strategy and partnerships at 24Hr HomeCare, told Home Health Care News.

RideWith24 offers on-demand transportation for seniors, but will not interfere with Age Well’s already established transportation services.

“Our program with Age Well is not looking to take the place of their primary services,” Blake Naudin, director of admissions at 24Hr HomeCare, told Home Health Care News. “However, there is absolutely a need for the transportation services for seniors outside of what they [Age Well] can provide.”

The program already has a handful of seniors from Age Well signed up and 24Hr HomeCare anticipates to have dozens of rides booked through the program on a bi-weekly basis.

RideWith24 is already undergoing expansion. 24Hr HomeCare has partnered with UCLA Health, Sunrise Senior Living, Regents Point, WISE & Healthy Aging and Avenidas Village.

Written by Alana Stramowski