Service Spotlight: GoGoGrandparentBenefits for Seniors and Families: GoGoGrandparent is a lifeline for seniors and their families, providing safe and reliable transportation services. It allows seniors to maintain their independence by easily booking rides to medical appointments, social outings, or anywhere they need to go.Why It Matters: Mobility is essential for seniors' quality of life. GOGO GRANDPARENT ensures that seniors can access the services and activities they need to stay active and engaged in their communities.At Seniors Blue Book, we're proud to connect you with services like GOGO GRANDPARENT, making senior care more accessible and convenient. Discover how this service can benefit you or your loved ones.

Youve always taken great pride in being able to get yourself to where you want to go, whether its picking up the grandkids from school or walking to the grocery store with your neighbor. When needs change and its harder to access reliable transportation, though, its important to find new ways to get around so you can stay on the go. Maybe youve hung up the car keys and started asking family members to shuttle you to appointments. You may feel like youre losing your independence, but with senior transportation options, it doesnt have to be that way.In fact, the change offers the chance to experience getting around with an ease, freedom and dependability you may not have had before. With senior transportation, an essential aspect of active senior living, you can continue to do the things you love and live life to your fullest. Here are five ways senior transportation can help you do just that:More freedom and flexibilityLosing access to transportation can lead to feelings of loneliness since you may not be able to participate in activities, or see friends, as easily as you once did. With the ease of scheduling and access to local destinations senior transportation provides, though, you can take care of errands, make that doctors appointment and meet your pals out for dinner on your time. Having the freedom to leave the home when you choose is crucial to a fulfilling quality of life and the flexibility of senior transportation can help get you there.Safe, accessible service you can count onHealth issues may mean you need to stop driving, but that doesnt mean you have to slow down your active lifestyle. Senior transportation provides a safe, accessible way to get around thanks to experienced drivers and special accommodations for those using wheelchairs.Affordable and reliableCar maintenance can get expensive, and it sure doesnt help that gas prices are higher these days. No need to worry about car breakdowns or trips to the auto shop with senior transportation, though. Plus, senior transport services are often included in the cost of senior living communities so you can keep more of that money in your pocket instead of spending it on filling the tank.Less reliance on family caregiversLosing access to transportation often leads to leaning on family members for rides, particularly if youve moved into their home. Senior transportation can alleviate that need by providing a way for you to take control of your own schedule and get around when loved ones arent available.Reduced isolation and a more connected senior lifestyleIsolation and feelings of loneliness are common in older adults, especially those who live alone or have lost a spouse. Not being able to easily visit friends and family due to immobility can compound those feelings. Thats why senior transportation doesnt just provide an option for getting to necessities like doctors appointments, but also gatherings like a grandchilds piano recital, a walking group at the park or a Christmas tree lighting downtown with friends that give your life meaning and joy.Stay connected and independent with Five Star transportationAt Five Star Senior Living, we know that having the freedom to access the world outside our communities with safe, dependable transportation is key to a happy, healthy and connected lifestyle. Thats why our residents can take advantage of our shuttle service for errands, appointments, and outings to local destinations and events. With so many amenities available inside our communities, though, including dining, fitness classes, beauty parlors, chapels, movie theaters and more, you may find you can get much of what you need without hopping on a shuttle to get there. The best part? Its included in the cost of senior living, so you wont see any added fees on your one, simple monthly payment. Find a community near you to learn more about how Five Star can get you where you need to go from a community that feels just like home.

When did you start the business?  Why? When I moved to Sarasota from Minneapolis in 2015, I wondered why there were no trolley tours in a tourist town with such a storied past. As an arts consultant (part of my past career), I was asked to take on the role of leading the Center for Architecture Sarasota as part of a Gulf Coast Community Foundation consulting assignment. For them, I developed the Architectural Trolley Tours which led to me realizing the potential for other types of tours. In 2018, I started my own tour company Discover Sarasota Tours (DST) to showcase all the wonderful and hidden aspects of Sarasotas rich history and culture. DST offered three trolley tours when we started (Circus Tour, City Tour, and the Haunted Tour) but now have 16 different tour themes running all year long. During COVID to keep the business open, I operated The ChillMobile vintage ice cream truck which became so popular it was featured in a Facebook movie and in AARP Magazine as the ultimate pivot business. My career in the arts as a theater performer, director, and producer taught me how to bring stories to life in an informative and entertaining way which remains the hallmark aspect of all DST tours. What is your connection to Bradenton? I have had regular ChillMobile clients (Westminster Point Pleasant and other healthcare businesses) in Bradenton during the past three years. Driving there monthly to serve ice cream to seniors allowed me to discover the downtown area, the restaurants, and cool neighborhoods that comprise Bradentons charm. I have also spent time in the library researching some of the important history of Manatee County and how it shaped Sarasotas own story. What is your background?  Is this business a result of your passion? Yes, this business was started to have fun and make money. I chose to live in Sarasota because I fell in love with the town and my tours are a sort of gift back to this beautiful interesting and artistic place.  Prior to my role with DST, I spent 23 years as the Founder & CEO of a consulting firm for arts organizations called Blue Sky Thinking LLC, and before that worked as an Arts Administrator for state grant makers, museums, theater and dance companies, Broadway Theater, and live radio shows for 15 years. I am also the creator of The Founder & CEO Tammy Hauser Discover Sarasota Tours 36   |   BMAGUltimate Pajama Party, a grown-up girls slumber party extravaganza and commercial theater enterprise. What were your drives to start up? I was ready to leave my world of arts consulting for nonprofits and be able to make my own decisions rather than enacting Board decisions. Running a company that sold goods and services instead of time and expertise seemed like a whole new exciting challenge. I saw a unique need to offer tours that no one else was offering and thought they would be successful because this area is filled with smart, curious people who love to learn and have fun while doing that. Are the sacrifices worth it? Most days yes. COVID was quite a challenge and the ensuring staffing shortages, the trauma that employees still feel after the constant stress of the past three years, has made it really hard. Ian did not help matters but we are finally feeling on solid footing with a loyal growing customer base. Many customers have become SUPER FANS coming on our tours (sometimes the same one) over and over again with new friends and family members. I am so proud of what we do, of my tour guides, and of our resilience to just keep going. Its so important to help new residents learn about their hometown so that they may cherish some of our remaining historical buildings. Its also important for residents to keep falling in love with our area as they learn new things about where they live. What are some goals you hope to accomplish with your efforts? We are continually adding new tours. In the works are a Naturalist tour for nature lovers. We just launched Sunset Cabaret, Music & Craft Beer tour for younger residents and visitors. Our nighttime theatrical shows on wheels will be adding new murder storylines during 2024 and really, there are just so many new things happening that we could offer 20 tours and not cover it all! What do you enjoy most about what you do? I love coming on my tours and experiencing the joy and interest our guests have. I love my staff and am so proud and awed by their knowledge, talent, and sincere desire to help people fall in love with our area. I also LOVE our Annual Trolley Bash in November where we celebrate our CUSTOMERS! Has it been everything you expected? It has been WAY more than I expected in every way. I used to serve as a consultant for many different nonprofit groups going to them to do my work. Having a company that focuses on individuals and business customers coming to us seven days a week has been a totally new learning curve for me. And of course, the world has changed so much in the past two years so its new for everyone. What makes your services unique? We are the ONLY trolley tour company in the Sarasota area offering professional public trolley tours. We offer 15 unique tours designed for EVERY taste! Our ice cream truck is Sarasotas ONLY local ice cream truck and she just turned 44 which makes her one of the only operating trucks of her generation in the country. Our Trolley Cottage Gift Shop provides so many unique, whimsical, and charming gifts and collectibles that have a local feel and flavor. We produce original musicals on the trolley and all our tours are created by our team so all very unique. What advice would you give someone to start their own business? Make sure you have personal support from your family. Make sure you have MORE money saved to use for business than you think you need because you will need it! Take it slow learn along the way so you can change things that may not work as planned. Slow and steady wins the race. Business ownership is definitely a marathon not a sprint so pace yourself and ask for help. Additional Information: Many people think tours are just for tourists and nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, during the months of January through April our trolley is filled with tourists, or family members of residents, but most of our customers are local and some have lived here for decades. They tell us they had NO idea of all the places, history, stories of Sarasota and they just love learning more about the place they call home. Awards 2021 Award Best of Sarasota Magazine 2021 Award SRQ Magazine Best New Business 2022 Tripadvisor Travelers Choice Award Best of Florida 2022 Award for Entertainment/Amusement 2023 SRQ Platinum Award from SRG Magazine Best LOCAL Tour Company B