Seniors Can Learn About 'Healthy Hop' Transportation In Hazlet

HAZLET, NJ — Apart from needing your medical appointments, just getting to the appointments can be a challenge if you don't have convenient transportation.

To make it easier for people ages 60 and above to make those crucial appointments, the Healthy Hop medical transportation program is coming to the area.

Healthy Hop Transportation is a collaborative effort between Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey, Monmouth County Division on Aging and local ride-sharing services, such as Uber and Lyft, according to Hazlet Township.

The program provides free rides to medical appointments for seniors.

Here are some quick facts about who qualifies for the program and how it works:

• Be aged 60 and over.
• Live in Monmouth County
• One free trip to medical appointments per week.
• Be able to get in and out of a car with gentle assistance; wheelchairs are not accommodated.
• No accommodation for procedures where anesthesia is used.
• Local trips only.

A free presentation on the program is Thursday, Oct. 12, at 11:30 a.m. at the Hazlet Senior Center, at the James J. Cullen Center, 1776 Union Ave. in Hazlet.

Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey provided some other details about the program:

With the service, seniors can simply call the organization when they are ready for a medical appointment, and it will arrange for an Uber, Lyft, or local taxi service to pick them up. No need to book ahead, or worry about transportation logistics.

To use the service, seniors must register by filling out a brief application. This ensures that all the necessary information is available for safe and efficient transport.

Ways to register:

• Call the Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey office at 732-505-2273. Plan to be on the phone for 15-20 minutes.
• Fill out a paper application and send it to 201 Hooper Ave., Toms River, NJ 08753.
• Fill out an application online at cvcj.org/healthyhop.
• Once you are registered, you will receive a postcard that will contain all of the information you need. It should be saved.

To learn more about Caregiver Volunteers, visit its website here.