A new transportation option will help elderly Cayuga County residents get to and from out-of-town medical appointments at no cost to them.
Those 60 years or older can now sign up for GoGo Transportation, offered through the Cayuga County Office for the Aging. Speaking with Finger Lakes News Radio, Cayuga County Office for the Aging Director Brenda Wiemann explained that GoGo contracts with various rideshare services like Lyft or Uber to provide transportation services to the elderly at no cost to them.
Like regular ridesharing services, other people, such as caregivers or family members, can accompany the elderly individual for free.
The program is funded through an agreement between the New York State Office for the Aging and GoGo Transportation with the Cayuga County office acting as an intermediary and authorizing rides. Due to transportation challenges within the county and its long and narrow shape, Wiemann said they’ve prioritized out-of-town medical transportation, whether within the county or to a facility outside it.
Additionally, the need for specialized care can require individuals to travel to better-equipped facilities in larger cities such as Rochester or Syracuse.
“It’s also our healthcare system now. A lot of folks are receiving medical care, even if they get some care locally, for specialists and for more advanced care, they often do have to travel out of the county… so it’s great that this has shown so far to be a good option for people.”
Wieman said the program has already been successfully used for a number of trips including Southern Cayuga to Ithaca, Auburn to Rochester, and Northern Cayuga to Syracuse.
Wiemann added that GoGo is meant to supplement, not replace other transportation services such as the SCAT Van, veterans transportation services, or Medicaid Transport. If these options are unavailable, then GoGo can be utilized.
“For others that don’t have those options, as long as it’s an out-of-town medical appointment that can’t be scheduled with any other ride system, [GoGo] would be able to do that.”
To register for the program, Wieman said that seniors need to call the Office for the Aging at 315-253-1226 to register. The office will then determine if the trip meets eligibility requirements. If it does, an assistant will schedule the pickup and provide contact info for GoGo.
Have all the Finger Lakes news from Finger Lakes News Radio delivered to your email every morning for FREE! Sign up by clicking here
