CareLinx Inc., a nationwide online caregiver marketplace, specifically focused on helping the elderly and people with disabilities and chronic conditions, today announced a partnership with Lyft to offer door-through-door transportation.

This partnership makes Lyft's ride-sharing service available through CareLinx's mobile application, enabling their elderly customers to easily order a car to get to doctor's appointments, run errands, and visit friends and family with the assistance of a professional caregiver.

More and more seniors and patients seek to remain in their homes rather than move into assisted living facilities. For many of them, transportation can be challenging because of a lack of reliable, cost-effective options and because they require physical assistance to get from their home into a vehicle. A recent Community Transportation Association of America paper suggests nearly 3.6 million Americans miss or delay medical care because they lack appropriate transportation to their appointments. As a result, many health systems have identified door-through-door services, such as Lyft, as an important need for elderly patients who have difficulty getting to appointments.

The CareLinx app allows family members to communicate with their loved ones' caregivers to set Care Plans, including social outings and medical appointments. In any metro area where both CareLinx and Lyft are available, family members and authorized caregivers can order a Lyft ride on behalf of their loved ones directly through the CareLinx app even if they do not live nearby. With real-time notifications, family members can also track the status of a ride as it happens for peace of mind. Now, family members can feel assured their loved ones are safely accompanied by one of more than 160,000 trusted caregiver companions in CareLinx's network when they are going to medical, social events and other appointments.

CareLinx and Lyft will also donate one percent of the proceeds of rides scheduled through the platform to the Alzheimer's Association to support for the community.