senior woman using smart phone

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Navigating the complex world of technology can be hard enough for young people, let alone for homebound older adults. GoGoGrandparent strives to change that. 

In advance of Grandparents’ Day this past Sunday, Sept. 12, Justin Boogaard, CEO and founder of the platform that offers rides, groceries and other services for older adults, shed some light on the inspiration behind his business.

“It’s empowering older adults and people with disabilities to get what they want when they want, and we can be used as an extension of a care team,” he said.

Boogaard’s vision for the business, which is celebrating its 5-year anniversary, started when he was living with his grandmother, who needed rides. She asked him to figure out a way for her to be able to get to the places she needed to go as independently as possible.

“GoGo gives you the opportunity to continue to be a part of your community while also living independently in your home,” he said. 

Services offered

While GoGoGrandparent started as a ride-request platform, more services have been added during the pandemic, such as customized healthy meal preparations, he said. 

“We’ve expanded during the pandemic to also enable automated ordering of common nutritious meals that may be tailored to your dietary restrictions or preferences,” Boogaard said. “You can request groceries by calling in and pressing 8, and there are other services you can request through an operator.”

Additional services include pharmacy delivery and home chores. 

There are two parts of the company’s mission, according to Boogaard. Those are helping to bridge the digital divide, as well as creating on-demand services with reliable infrastructures easily accessible for older adults to use.

Autonomy

One of the main draws of GoGoGrandpparent is its emphasis on autonomy. In the case of Boogaard’s grandmother, she wanted the freedom to be able to request her own rides and services, as opposed to relying on her grandson. 

“You’re able to request services autonomously. You don’t have to ask someone for permission for a ride,” he explained. “You’re not calling and talking to a person, though you can. You can talk to an operator at GoGo at any time. A professional grandchild is always available if you press zero.” 

Ultimately, reliability and quality are at the heart of the mission of GoGoGrandparent, which is in all 50 states and Canada. Everyone who signs up receives a one-month free trial to test run the services and see if it is a good fit. 

“We have a sense of earnestness and responsibility, because we know the role that it’s playing in people’s lives,” he explained. “To us, it incorporates the values of compassion and patience, but also thoroughness. We can’t leave someone on a corner. It’s socially irresponsible and ethically wrong to do so. And we all have that sense of that kind of moral compass.”

This article originally appeared on McKnight's Senior Living