After nearly three full years of operations, home52 Transportation continues to receive high marks from riders who rely on the service to meet their transportation needs.

Launched in May 2021 by Council on Aging and its subsidiary, home52, home52 Transportation coordinates multiple transportation providers through a centralized transportation coordination center, providing on-demand and advance-scheduled trips for riders who require specialized transportation services. The goal of home52 Transportation is to provide the right type of vehicle, at the right time, with the right support to meet an individual’s needs.

home52 Rider Feedback

• 97% get as much help as they need accessing the vehicle
• 99.4% feel safe and secure during the ride
• 98.7% can depend on their ride
• 99.7% said scheduling rides was easy
• 90% said access to transportation helped improve their health
• 25% would have used urgent care, the ER or called 911 if transportation had not been available

Bryan Black, COA’s transportation program manager, attributes the program’s success in large part to the partnerships home52 has developed with its transportation providers.

“home52 Transportation is committed to meeting the unique transportation needs of older adults and individuals with disabilities,” Black said. “The transportation providers that are part of our network share this commitment and it is evident in the level of service they provide to our riders.”

Timmons Tender Care, owned by Annie Timmons, is one example. Timmons said she was attracted to home52 Transportation based on a shared goal of empowering individuals to remain independent in their homes. “I felt a connection to this,” she said, adding the program’s model of “through the door, not to the door,” is what separates home52 Transportation from other transportation options in the region.

Timmons’s husband, Lannis, is a driver for the company. A retired schoolteacher and basketball coach, the act of helping others and providing a service that supports the community gives him a sense of fulfillment. “I take care of myself so I can take care of others,” Timmons said. “This is important to me.”

According to Black, home52 Transportation is ideal for small businesses because there is low administrative overhead for the provider. “Providers don’t need office staff or scheduling software. We manage all of that and provide the training and support needed to help our providers succeed,” Black said.

“From our first meeting, it was clear the home52 Transportation staff wanted our small company to succeed,” Annie Timmons said. “They walked us step by step through the process of applying to become a provider. It was a good experience for us as a small company.”