Ed Note: As we age and begin to give up our cars, we do have some alternatives at Skyline and thank goodness for Ben during the hours he is available. But what about other times? Not all of us are familiar with apps and smartphones, so Uber and Lyft can be intimidating. Actually did you know that if our transportation isn’t available that the Skyline can help residents schedule Lyft rides and then bill them later on their monthly statement? The Concierge does this evenings and weekends. During the daytime of the week, we have our driver Ben; however, if someone needs Lyft, the Lifestyle people will schedule it for you. If you have Uber or Lyft concerns, schedule tech help – and hit the road!
Seniors need transportation alternatives more than ever, but many are intimidated by ride-hailing apps.
By Paula Span from the NYT.Martin Gerstell treasures his Thursday morning volunteer stint at the National Gallery of Art, where he fields questions at the main information desk. He patiently responds when visitors ask about the current exhibits, whether the paintings are real, where the bathrooms are.
Usually, fellow volunteers give him a ride from his assisted living residence in northwest Washington to the museum downtown, and home again. But when they can’t, Mr. Gerstell, 94, uses the Uber app his granddaughter installed on his iPhone.
“They appear very quickly, and they’re very helpful,” Mr. Gerstell said of his Uber drivers, who fold and stash his walker in the trunk. Summoning a taxi, his previous option, usually took 15 to 20 minutes; Uber arrives in three to five minutes and charges less, under $20, to drive him downtown.
It probably helps that Mr. Gerstell, a retired electrical engineer, handles new technology with aplomb.
Donna Nettleton has encountered a different reaction at the Oasis Institute in Shiloh, Ill., where she volunteers to teach older people about digital devices.
Her students take happily to Facebook, but “Uber and Lyft are scarier because they involve money,” she explained. Older adults, warned continually about scams and identity theft, fear that misusing an app could empty their bank accounts.
“It’s challenging to build the confidence they need to actually use these things that could make life easier for them,” Ms. Nettleton said. So far, she’s been unable to convert any of her advisees — including her 80-year-old mother — into riders.
More than half of adults over 65 own smartphones, the Pew Research Center has reported. Yet among adults 50 and older, only about a quarter used ride-hailing services in 2018 (a leap, however, from 7 percent in 2015). By comparison, half of those aged 18 to 29 had used them.