Statements

Mission

We enrich the lives of older adults and engage them in the community by providing affordable and assisted, volunteer-based transportation.

Senior Ride Nashville is removing transportation barriers for Nashville's older adults. Transportation is one of the largest unmet needs of today's older adults, leaving people unable to run simple errands, have their health needs met, and maintain social connections. At Senior Ride Nashville, our vision is a connected community that empowers older adults to live well. We offer a membership to qualified older adults in need of transportation and pair them with a volunteer driver who can take them to any requested location within Davidson County. At Senior Ride Nashville, we believe in:

*Improving communities: Transportation improves quality of life by keeping people connected to essential services and relationships.

*Providing flexible volunteer times: Online scheduling lets volunteers pick requested rides when they are available.

*Delivering affordable options: Our structure and services means transportation isn't financially out of reach for those who need it.

Background

Transportation ranks as a top need for senior adults. Born under the Council on Aging in 2017, Senior Ride Nashville operates a volunteer driver program for residents of Davidson County age 60 and older. This service honors and supports senior adults by keeping them connected to the community, providing mobility for maintaining health and quality of life, and creating valuable relationships between volunteer drivers and riders. It also acts as an information resource by providing guidance on alternative mobility options available to area seniors. The 85 year and older cohort is the fastest growing segment of older adults. Nashville currently has 30,000 residents aged 75 years and older, those who are most likely to have multiple chronic health conditions that limit their ability to drive safely. Studies have shown that older adults typically live six to ten years after they stop driving, and reduced mobility can put a person at higher risk of poor health, isolation, loneliness and depression. Locally, the need for affordable, assisted transportation for senior adults has been discussed for years, validated by Council on Aging (COA) surveys and calls from seniors, and input from service providers.

A 2011 Transportation for America study revealed that senior adults who no longer drive make 15% fewer trips to the doctor, and 60-65% fewer trips to shop/eat out and visit friends/family. The same study noted that Nashville ranked 4th worst in the percentage of seniors with poor access to public transportation. Current transportation options include MTA's AccessRide and buses, and a couple of mini-bus services in specific areas. Uber and Lyft ride sharing services operate in Nashville, but many older adults are concerned about cost and safety, and neither provide door-through-door support. Focus groups conducted by the Council on Aging and the Senior Transportation Leadership Coalition highlighted mobility barriers faced by senior adults. Focus group participants pointed out that many home-bound older adults can continue to live independently and enjoy their lives in the community with access to affordable transportation that offers door-through-door assistance. Senior Ride Nashville provides this service to Davidson County residents 60 years and older who no longer drive, are ambulatory and require assistance to travel safely.

Impact

Senior Ride Nashville launched services on November 1, 2017 and currently serves West Nashville, Madison, Donelson, Old Hickory, Hermitage, and East Nashville. In 2022, we are planning for program expansion as we grow our staff, recruit more volunteers, and add more riders. We have provided over 18,000 trips to Nashville's older adults since our inception in 2017. We look forward to our continued growth in the Nashville community as we adapt and expand our programming to new areas in Davidson County.

Needs

Senior Ride Nashville strives to recruit, screen and train a minimum of 8 new volunteer drivers/month in order to enroll and serve an additional 16-20 riders/month. Volunteers are asked to give a minimum of one-ride/month at a time of their choosing.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Human Services  - Senior Centers/Services
Secondary Category:	Human Services  - Transportation Assistance
Tertiary Category:	-

Areas Served

Services are currently available for residents in West Nashville, Madison, Donelson, Hermitage Old Hickory, and East Nashville communities. We plan for a gradual expansion to additional service areas, as volunteer capacity allows, until services are available throughout Davidson County.

TN - Davidson