Senior Transportation Program

The Oceana County Council on Aging (OCCOA) operates the only public transportation available to county residents, prioritizing adults 60+. Services include door-to-door public bus, paratransit for non-ambulatory riders, and a volunteer driver program that gets seniors to essential out-of-county medical appointments (e.g., dialysis and specialty care—sometimes as far as Ann Arbor). Rides can be requested Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm, typically with 24–48 hours’ notice, and are coordinated through HIPAA-compliant scheduling. This network is built for rural accessibility so health, location, or income do not prevent older adults from reaching care.

To keep access reliable and responsive, OCCOA has streamlined routes, expanded its driver team across both paratransit and volunteer services, and consistently earns very high rider satisfaction (≥4.75/5). The program is guided by a transportation advisory group and strengthened by partnerships with MDOT, Senior Resources, Disability Network of West Michigan, Community Mental Health, MDHHS, MSU Extension, and others. Modest rider fees help offset costs, but frequent medical trips can quickly strain fixed incomes—especially for those in remote areas.

Alignment with United Way mission/priorities
This program advances United Way of the Lakeshore’s Healthy Families/Individuals → Access to Care priority by removing transportation barriers that keep seniors—particularly those in the ALICE demographic—from timely, preventive, and specialty healthcare. Reliable, affordable rides improve health equity for rural older adults, reduce missed appointments and avoidable crises, and support independence and safety. With anticipated statewide transportation funding pressures, United Way support will directly subsidize ride costs so Oceana County seniors can keep essential medical care within reach—fully aligned with United Way’s mission to inspire change and build thriving communities.