Senior Transportation
Click here to view or print Senior Transportation 2013 Program Information
CITY OF GROVEPORT
SENIOR TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM GUIDELINES
Office Hours: Monday – Friday
7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Groveport Recreation Center
7370 Groveport Rd.
Groveport, OH 43125
(614) 836-RIDE (7433)
Contacts: Bob Dowler, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Deb Scholl-Saulnier, Senior Citizens Coordinator
Kyle Lund, Director of Parks & Recreation
Program Purpose:
The Groveport Senior Transportation Program will promote the continuation of an independent lifestyle for individuals age 60 and older through the provision of dependable door to door transportation for residents of the City of Groveport. The program will assist in decreasing clients’ dependence upon family members and friends and increase opportunities for independent mobility.
Days of Service:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Transportation services will not be available on City of Groveport recognized holidays (see below) and other days as deemed necessary by the City of Groveport.
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Veteran’s Day
- Thanksgiving
- Day after Thanksgiving
- Christmas Eve (last working day before Christmas)
- Christmas
A recognized holiday that falls on a Saturday will be observed on a Friday. A recognized holiday that falls on a Sunday will be observed on a Monday. When in doubt, please call the office for verification.
Reservations:
The client must request transportation no later than by noon, 2-business days and no more than 3-months prior to the appointment. The program staff reserves the right to close or limit appointments based on the needs of the program.
Time of Service:
Client’s destination appointment times must fall between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Scheduled return transportation will not be provided after 4:00 p.m. Clients are expected to make other arrangements if their return is expected to be after 4:00 p.m..
Eligibility:
- Age 60 or older
- Resident of the City of Groveport (Tax District #185).
- Mentally or physically challenged clients under the age of 60, with proof of disability (e.g., Social Security award letter, physician’s certification, etc.) submitted at time of application. Recertification of disability will be submitted by the client upon request.
- Any client requiring assistance beyond the scope of the program must be accompanied by a caregiver (a person 18 years or older arranged by the client, picked up with the client and with the appropriate capacity to aid the client) or Senior Companion (a volunteer 18 years or older arranged by the program with the appropriate capacity to aid the client).
- Clients are encouraged to enroll in the Franklin County Senior Options Program. Senior Options has been providing community-based services since 1933. These services include: home delivered meals, homemaker, personal care, respite care, adult day care, transportation, emergency response systems and minor home repair. Please call the Franklin County Senior Options Program at 614-462-6200.
Service Area and Frequency:
Health and Wellness Appointments:
Transportation will be provided for health and wellness appointments (e.g. under the care or direction of a physician or licensed health practitioner) within Franklin County, and limited to 3-appointments per calendar week. Due to its close proximity, the Senior Transportation Program will also transport clients to Tri-County Medical Center and Diley Ridge Medical Center. Exceptions may be authorized for medical services which normally have a limited term (e.g., physical therapy). Clients will be encouraged to select health and wellness services within southeast Franklin County.
NOTE: In the event that a client has scheduled 3-Health and/or Wellness appointments in one week, the client will not be eligible for a Personal Appointment.
Personal Appointments:
Transportation will be provided for 1-personal appointment per calendar week. Clients may select destinations in Obetz and along South High Street in the area bordred by Rathmell Road to the south, South High Stret to the west, Williams Road to the north and Alum Creek Drive to the east. East of Alum Creek Drive, clients may select destinations south of Winchester Pike. Transportation service to the Canal Winchester Meijers store hs been made available for the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month. The Senior Transportation Program reserves the right to limit service for personal appointments.
Multiple Appointments:
The program staff will make efforts to accommodate multiple medical appointments on a case-by-case basis. Clients should make a point to arrange these as early in the day as possible. Multiple personal appointments will only be accommodated within the City of Groveport and in the retail area of Gender Road between Groveport Road and SR-33 and only as scheduling permits.
Scheduled Shopping Days, Times & Locations
Tuesdays Kroger Shopping Center & Wal-Mart Shopping Center (CW)
Meijer Shopping Center on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays only (CW)
* Counts as 1-Personal Appointment
Groveport Senior Center Luncheon
Thursdays Groveport Senior Center
7370 Groveport Rd.
Groveport, OH 43125
* Please reserve your sit-down meal by Monday (4:00 p.m.). Please call Groveport Senior Center at 614-836-4599.
* Luncheon does not count against your Personal Appointment allotment.
Service Type:
Priority will be given to health and wellness appointments. The Groveport Senior Transportation Program is offered on a door to door basis. Access to the client’s private dwelling will only be permitted with pre-approval by the Senior Transportation Coordinator and only with a minimum of two staff persons present. Limited through-the-door service will be provided as needed for a client requiring assistance into a doctor’s office or other public space.
Inclement Weather:
In situations of inclement weather, particularly those in the winter and that cause local schools to be closed, please call the Groveport Senior Transportation Office to verify whether or not services will be offered for that particular day.
In the event of a Level 2 Snow Emergency, the vehicles will NOT be running.
The Senior Transportation Program Staff will notify scheduled clients of cancellations and delays and will make every attempt to reschedule with the clients.
Other:
- The Senior Transportation Program has been developed to provide assistance for scheduled appointments and is not designed to respond to emergency calls. In an emergency situation, call 911.
- Any relevant current medical condition must be communicated upon application to the program, as well as to the driver or scheduler (e.g. anxiety, seizures, pain, confusion, etc.).
- A screening will be conducted by program staff prior to acceptance in the program. This meeting will be used to collect client information, emergency contact information, identify any barriers or limitations to safe transportation, communicate the program guidelines and answer any questions the client, caregiver or family member may have. A photograph of the client will be taken at this time.
- Clients are asked to transport themselves to and from the vehicle without the driver’s assistance. If the client requests or the driver identifies conditions (weather, sidewalk construction, temporary health conditions, etc.) when the client would be best served by assistance between their dwelling or destination and the vehicle, the driver will offer such assistance. The driver will exercise personal safety at all times.
- Any client requiring assistance beyond the scope of this program must be accompanied by a caregiver (a person 18 years or older arranged by the client, picked-up with the client and with the appropriate capacity to aid the client) or a Senior Companion (a volunteer 18 years or older arranged by the program with the appropriate capacity to aid the client). The caregiver will assume responsibility for assisting the client to and from the vehicle, up and down steps, opening doors, etc. Caregivers will be required to read, understand and sign these guidelines before being transported with the client. The caregiver’s name will be provided when the appointment is made. Multiple caregivers may be selected, with only one caregiver assisting per transport.
- All persons within a program vehicle will wear seat belts and be safely secured at all times.
- Wheelchairs and mobility devices must be of a size, design and condition (including state of repair and cleanliness) that can be safely transported as determined by the program staff.
- Combative or seriously ill persons will NOT be transported. A client whose behavior, language or personal hygiene poses a health risk or negatively impacts other clients or staff will be advised that they may not be eligible to remain in the program. The driver and program coordinator retains the authority to exercise this decision.
- The Senior Transportation Staff will not normally make unscheduled stops. Shopping and other trips that are not dependent upon a specific appointment time will be considered flexible.
- Standing appointments for health and wellness will be accepted. Personal standing appointments will not be accepted.
- One-way transportation may be permitted and should be specified by the client at the time the reservation is made.
- A change of destination address or appointment time may not be accepted after noon, two business days prior to the appointment.
- Cancellations may occur at any time. The program staff requests notification as soon as possible if a cancellation is unavoidable. Repeated cancellations may result in termination of services.
- The client will provide the following information when requesting transportation: first & last name, appointment time, destination name, destination address, and destination telephone number.
- Program staff will call to confirm all non-standing appointments the day before the appointment. It is the client’s responsibility to confirm the appointment with the Senior Transportation office before noon the day prior to the appointment if he or she cannot be reached by telephone. Non-standing appointments that fail to be confirmed may be cancelled.
- The client will be ready (watching for and able to be in the vehicle within 3-5 minutes) for the arrival of a vehicle one hour prior to the appointment time given program staff.
- The client will contact the Senior Transportation Office at the conclusion of the appointment to arrange for return transportation. The estimated time for return transportation pick-up will be given to the client at that time. It is the intention of the program staff that all clients will be picked up in less than one hour from the time of the call. The pick-up driver may not be the same as the drop-off driver, but will return to the drop-off location for pick-up. If for any reason the client will not require return transportation, or the location for pick-up must be changed, the Transportation Office will be notified immediately.
- The Groveport Parks & Recreation Department staff will assume daily responsibility of the Groveport Senior Transportation Program.
- Should conditions exist which negatively impact client, driver or public safety, the Groveport Senior Transportation Program reserves the right to deny service.
- The City of Groveport reserves the right to rule on any matter not covered in the Guidelines for the best interest of the City of Groveport. The City of Groveport further reserves the right to change the Guidelines as needed.
Click here to view or download the Client Information Sheet and Program Guidelines