July 18, 2003 Contact: Ken Domer (714) 480-2990 Kelli Kammerlohr (714) 567-5166
Senior Transportation Alternatives Available Office on Aging Provides Transportation Alternatives For Older Adults
(Santa Ana, CA) – Seniors looking for transportation alternatives need to look no further than the Orange County Office on Aging. The Orange County Senior Transportation programs funded by the Office on Aging have been developed to help seniors maintain a high quality of life and retain an active lifestyle. These programs provide assurance to older adults that there is Life After Driving. In partnership with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), several programs have been created that assist seniors in learning alternative transportation options in the county as well as assist individual cities in creating Senior Mobility Programs. • The Senior Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (SNEMT) Program. SNEMT provides transportation to older adults who are in need of cost-free transportation to and from medical appointments, dentists, therapies, exercise programs, testing and other health related trips. Utilizing special funding from the Tobacco Settlement Revenue funds administered by the Orange County Health Care Agency, the Office on Aging has contracted with North Orange County Senior Connections and South County Senior Transportation to provide necessary transportation options to older adults. • The Senior Medical Assistance Reimbursement Transportation (SMART) Program. The SMART Program is a volunteer mileage reimbursement program which will enable seniors with no other means of transportation to access needed non-emergency medical services, thereby helping them to maintain their independence. Senior Mobility Programs are designed to meet the transportation needs of older adults that cannot be met by utilizing fixed route buses, OCTA funded Access, or Senior Non-Emergency Medical Transportation programs. There are currently 17 cities participating in Senior Mobility Programs as well as the Vietnamese Senior Center and the Korean American Senior Association of Orange County. A listing of participating cities can be found at www.octa.net/busrail/seniors/intro.asp. For more information on alternative forms of transportation for older adults in Orange County, please contact the Office on Aging’s Information and Assistance line at (800) 510-2020. This service is free to seniors and their caregivers. - # # # # -