While some of us enjoy driving and still regularly hit the road, for many, getting around in our later years is a source of anxiety and distress. You may live in an urban environment where public transport is available, yet be unable to fully utilize it because of disability or mobility issues. Or, you may live in the suburbs but be limited, if you still drive at all. Or you may live in a rural area where driving to appointments or shopping can take a long time, perhaps leaving you fatigued or unmotivated to go out. Or maybe you’ve given up the expense and burden of owning your own car and now depend on others. There’s an infinite variety of circumstances that may mean it’s not as easy for you to get around as it used to be. But that doesn’t mean you don’t still have places to go and people to see. So, how will you get there?

Some municipalities sponsor senior transportation services or provide senior discounts for mass transit, and some older adults qualify for free transportation based on a disability or based on Medicaid or Medicare rules. And around the country, a variety of other programs do exist that older adults may access for transportation help. You can look at the RidesinSight website to see what options may be available in your area. 

What about the popular rideshare programs, either Uber or Lyft? Have you tried using either of them? Have you been frustrated by your previous experiences trying to call a car using one of these apps? If so, perhaps you’ll find some comfort knowing that your frustration has been heard, and these rideshare apps want you to give them another chance. Thus, they have both recently introduced new programs designed to entice older adults to use their services.

First, let’s look at Uber. Uber had previously rolled out a program called Uber Caregiver, which was intended to support caregivers, allowing them to set up and track rides for care recipients. Uber also has a program called Uber WAV, which is intended for wheelchair recipients and allows caregivers to ride with the older adult. This service is not available in every city where Uber operates, but where it does, the driver is certified and trained to help wheelchair users enter and exit the specialty vehicles. Uber also has a program for those who may want extra assistance, called Uber Assist, though again, this program may not be available in every location. For those who don’t use a smartphone, Uber includes a telephone number you can call to arrange for a ride through Uber Assist. 

The brand new program that Uber just implemented for older adults is called Uber Senior accounts, which allows a senior to either join an existing family plan or create an individual account. An existing head of a family plan can add a senior adult to his or her family profile and can then book rides for the older loved one, handle payments, and more. For those older adults creating their own individual accounts, there is a simplified version of the interface called “Simple Mode,” which increases the font size of the app, streamlines the interface, and adds clear instructions, with fewer buttons, bigger icons, and the ability to save frequently visited locations. You can click here to read more from Uber about these new options for older users.

Not to be outdone, Lyft, the main competitor to Uber, has rolled out its own new program to attract older customers, called Lyft Silver. Similar to the Uber program, the app interface is a simplified version of the usual app, with enlarged font size (you have to specifically download a distinct Lyft Silver app, rather than tweak the settings, as you would do in Uber to get to Simple Mode). The details of a ride you book through Lyft Silver can be shared with trusted contacts, the way they would be through adding an older adult to an existing Uber family profile. What’s unique to Lyft Silver is the company’s attempt to match older riders to cars that are easier to get into and out of, and the availability of a real human support system to help you all day. To find out more about this new Lyft service, take out your smartphone and click here. It is our understanding that neither Uber nor Lyft automatically offers driver assistance to help you get in or out of the car, and drivers are not trained or certified to do this.

Given how new both of these programs are, there are no reviews yet of how they work and whether they are reliable and easy to use. If any of you have tried them, please send us your thoughts at [email protected]. And for those of you newly emboldened to get back out now that you have these new options, enjoy the ride!