NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's something a lot of us take for granted: the ability to get from point A to point B with the simple act of driving a car. But what happens when you are too old to drive yourself, or when you have a disability that keeps you from driving?
Carepool is a rideshare service that's trying to tackle this issue head on.
It helps older individuals and people with disabilities get to and from their medical appointments with ease. They serve all of Central Tennessee, including the areas that are more rural.
"You can kind of think of an Uber-like process of real-time text notifications and bookings, but we also have a phone service and the ability to just take calls the old fashioned way as well," CEO of Carepool, Josh Massey, told me.
Massey says his grandmother was a big reason why he started the company.
"Originally I was working to help my grandmother in Wisconsin get where she was going to visit my grandfather. It was really long bus rides through the rural areas. It took an entire day for a one hour appointment, and that can be difficult," Massey said.
What are the services Carepool has?
The company originally came to Tennessee to help with the pandemic, delivering food and other services to people with disabilities who were sheltering in place. Now, they have been around for four and a half years and they offer both scheduled and on demand services. They also have a wheelchair capacity to assist someone if they had a procedure or need to go to a rehabilitation facility.
And then there's what they call a "sedation buddy."
I'll let Massey explain that one.
"Basically when you have a procedure and you need someone to be the responsible party after — someone that can come in and get you to the next location safely. You can't do that with an Uber or Taxi," he shared.
Massey says lots of Carepool drivers were previously in healthcare or had family members who need more assistance in old age, so they have a lot of passion and want to help give rides as much as possible. Oftentimes they get to give the same people rides consistently. Their service is a lot about forming those relationships with the passengers, as well as giving them rides.
If you or a loved one wants to use these services, all of their contact information is online. Their number is 1-833-268-2688.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
