Senior Transportation in Orange County 06/07/04, 121k

Additional Recommendations 1

These recommendations are not explicitly linked to specific findings.

• R20-64
  65+ 15% 0% 2000-2010 2010-2030 -15% DISCUSSION Orange County Transportation Authority The Orange County Transportation Authority provides extensive bus-transit ser- vices throughout Orange County, serving more than 3 million residents in 34 cities and unincorporated areas covering 797 square miles. As the County's primary transportation agency, OCTA transports more than 60,000 residents per day to and from work, school and many other locations in the County. As population increases, ridership is also expected to increase. OCTA's studies on ridership predict a 49- percent increase in riders by 2015. Long-range planning takes this increase into account by projecting and planning for additional buses and bus routes. In addition to fixed bus routes, OCTA provides ACCESS, a mandated paratransit service for those whose disabilities prevent them from using fixed bus routes (including the disabled elderly). This service is fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). OCTA's fixed bus routes provide scheduled bus service throughout the County. Information on the routes, schedules and rates is published in the OCTA Bus Book, which is available at many locations. A route map is also available. OCTA offers discounted fares for seniors and the disabled who ride the fixed bus routes. OCTA's ACCESS Program ACCESS is OCTA's shared-ride service for people who are unable to use the regular, fixed-route bus service because of their functional limitations or disabil- ities. To be certified by OCTA to use the ACCESS system, these passengers must meet the ADA-eligibility criteria (inability to board or exit a fixed-route bus or get to or from a bus stop because of physical and/or environmental barriers). Eligibility is based on a person's functional abilities and limitations, not on a specific diagnosis or disability. For example, a senior who is legally blind yet mobile may not qualify for the ACCESS program. There are five ACCESS classifications: Unrestricted - individual is unable to use accessible fixed-route bus service under any circumstances and is eligible for all trips on ACCESS. Conditional - individual is unable to use fixed-route service in specific circumstances and is eligible to use ACCESS under limited circumstances identified by the certification analyst. Trip-by-Trip – individual is unable to use accessible fixed-route bus service for • certain trips due to architectural and/or environmental barriers. Individual is eligible to use ACCESS for those trips identified by the certification analyst. Temporary – individual is unable to use accessible fixed-route bus service at this time, but the condition or circumstance(s) leading to eligibility is reasonably expected to change within a specifically determined time frame of less than three years. Subscription service allows riders to receive service without the need to call and • request each trip. This is good for riders who are traveling to work, school, for regularly scheduled medical appointments, or to other destinations on a regular basis. Back-up service is available for non-emergency, unplanned medical appointments. This same-day service is only available to ADA-certified riders. OCTA's ADA plan limits initial ACCESS eligibility to five years. Renewals are available. The ACCESS Program has been extremely successful over the past three years, serving the needs of both disabled persons and seniors of the County. Projections by OCTA in their Business Plan for 2004 indicate that, as the senior population increases through 2030, the use of ACCESS by seniors will grow, and the need for ACCESS buses will far surpass the need for fixed-route buses. This may not be an accurate estimate since many feel that seniors living in Orange County will be retiring later in their lives and will remain healthy longer than today's generation. They will also be driving their cars longer. However, as these seniors age and are no longer able to drive, they will have a greater need for alternative transportation. OCTA's Senior Outreach Program OCTA's Senior Outreach Program (SOP) enriches seniors' lives with creative transportation solutions that encourage independence and mobility. OCTA uses SOP to encourage seniors to use fixed-route bus transportation. An SOP mobility- training workshop educates seniors about OCTA's services: "The Bus Stops Here" teaches seniors about bus fares and demonstrates how to board, use fare boxes, operate wheelchair lifts and communicate with the driver. Such demonstrations encourage seniors to become as independent as possible. A "Train-the-Trainer/Technical-Support" workshop provides two days of training to non-profit organizations, social service agencies and other community resources to allow them to conduct Mobility Training workshops, thereby reaching a larger segment of the senior population. These workshops have been highly successful both for the seniors and the service agencies. More seniors are overcoming their anxieties about buses and are riding fixed bus routes to stores, entertainment centers, medical facilities and homes of friends and relatives. OCTA also provides transportation to satisfy the nutritional needs of seniors. This is a once-a-day program that transports seniors to and from participating senior centers that provide meals for seniors. In 2002-03 there were 94,308 such trips provided to seniors throughout the County. Funding for this program is provided by the participating cities, the Office on Aging and OCTA. Senior Mobility Program OCTA initiated the Senior Mobility Program (SMP) in October 2001. The program is designed to fill the gap between local fixed-route buses and ACCESS service by providing local transportation services to seniors in participating cities. Under the program, participating cities and non-profit agencies receive funds and vehicles from OCTA for a transit program that best fits the needs of seniors in their communities. Non-medical transportation services meet the seniors' social needs, such as shopping, visiting friends and going to restaurants. To date, 16 cities, as well as the Vietnamese Senior Center and the Korean American Senior Association of Orange County, have chosen to participate in the Senior Mobility Program. Participating cities are Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, La Habra, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, San Clemente, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Westminster and Yorba Linda. OCTA, the participating cities and non-profit agencies contribute financially to the program. OCTA's share includes Transit Development Act Article 4.5 funds to support up to 80 percent of SMP costs. In addition to contributing funds, OCTA provides used vehicles and technical support. The program has created trans- portation alternatives for seniors that satisfy one of OCTA's strategic initiatives: expanding local bus service and other specialized services for seniors. As more seniors become aware of SMP, it is anticipated that fewer ACCESS trips will be used for non-medical reasons, thereby freeing up ACCESS resources for those who need them. OCTA is working to increase the number of cities and non-profit organizations that participate in the SMP. However, rules and services differ from city to city, as shown on Web site http://octa.net/busrail/seniors/cities.asp. Even though the fee charged for service is nominal, some seniors cannot afford to pay, and therefore, the service is underutilized. Orange County Office on Aging The OoA is the primary agency for organizing, coordinating and providing information on community-based services and opportunities for seniors in Orange County. The OoA has worked diligently to implement a variety of programs aimed at meeting the needs of seniors. The following is an overview of the range of supporting services available to seniors through the OoA. Access Services help to ensure that seniors are linked with the appropriate com- munity services: Transportation – Seniors are advised about transportation programs that make • it possible for individuals who do not drive or whose physical conditions prohibit them from using public transportation to obtain rides for essential trips, such as medical appointments, business errands, shopping and senior activities. Door-to- door transportation is available in many places. Outreach - Outreach familiarizes seniors with services and benefits available to them. Outreach also identifies homebound or isolated seniors in need of services. Once identified, they are assisted in receiving appropriate services. Information and Referral - Information and referral/assistance programs assist • seniors, their families and community agencies that need information but don't know where to turn. The OoA has an information and assistance telephone line that will assist seniors by linking them with appropriate services. Anyone, regardless of age, may telephone the OoA for information on services and resources available in Orange County. The telephone number is 800-510-2020. The Senior Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (SNEMT) programs are administered and funded by OoA with Tobacco Settlement Revenue (TSR). SNEMT provides senior transportation to non-emergency medical needs, including therapy, dentistry, health education, testing and prescription pick-ups. The current pilot programs are South County Senior Transportation Program, North Orange County Senior Connections Transportation Program, St. Anselm's Senior Transportation, Vietnamese Community of Orange County Senior Transportation, Fountain Valley Regional Hospital Senior Transportation, Abrazar Senior Transportation and St. Jude's Medical Transportation. Two additional programs are in development. These programs are available to seniors age 60 and above who do not qualify for ACCESS. The services provided cover most of the county. The Grand Jury was able to ride along with passengers in three of these programs as they were picked up and delivered to their destinations. All passengers spoke highly of the services provided and felt the TSR money was being spent wisely. There are problems with these pilot programs. The cost per trip to the providers in some of the programs remains high. Some seniors eligible for ACCESS have signed up for these programs and call both providers for transportation, using the first one to arrive, leaving a "no-show" on the other's account. These seniors are being identified to prevent dual eligibility. However, there are times when TSR programs are more convenient for seniors. These occasions are scheduled trips for dialysis, chemotherapy and physical therapy. Accommodations have been developed between ACCESS and the TSR programs to handle these special needs. Information programs can be found Web these on site on http://www.officeonaging.com/transportationinfo.asp. One of the groups that assist the OoA is the Senior Citizens Advisory Council (SCAC) subcommittee on senior transportation. This subcommittee consists of seniors in the community who are concerned about current and future transpor- tation issues. SCAC also advises County agencies on plans for future senior- transportation needs. The committee needs to be more proactive in reaching the senior community it represents and in becoming more aware of seniors' trans- portation problems. Other Available Sources of Transportation Many other transportation services are available to seniors throughout the County. Some retirement and assisted-living communities provide transportation to their residents. A few churches provide transportation to religious services and other locations. In addition, supermarket chains sometimes offer to transport seniors to their stores. Medical-service providers also have transportation for seniors to and from their facilities. Some of these services are free; others are affordably priced. A list of these services can be found on the CarePathways Web site, http://www.CarePathwaysSeniorDirectReferral.com.