Uber Caregiver - making transport easier for caregivers and care recipients

Uber announces the launch of Uber Caregiver, a new feature designed to help make transport easier for Australian caregivers and care recipients.

For the 460,000+ employed care and support workers, and 3 million informal caregivers*, which include family and friends providing essential day-to-day support, Uber Caregiver now enables a better way to book rides, manage payment and track trips on behalf of those they care for.

The launch responds to growing evidence of transportation barriers within Australia’s care sector, as Uber commissioned data, conducted by Health Professional Councils Authority (HCPA), reveals 84% of NDIS participants rely on caregivers or family members to arrange their travel**.

With 5.5 million Australians living with disability and an ageing population requiring support*, Uber Caregiver seeks to alleviate the logistical, financial, and mental strain on caregivers, empowering them and those they care for to manage transportation more seamlessly.

Emma Foley, Managing Director of Uber Australia and New Zealand, said: “Caregivers are essential, providing critical support for millions of Australians. However, arranging transportation and managing the payment for those trips for someone you care for can add stress to what is often an already demanding and complex role. With Uber Caregiver, we’re making it easier to arrange reliable transportation for someone you care for, apply the best payment method for their trip, and connect you with the driver and rider in the event of the unexpected.

“Uber Caregiver reinforces our commitment to accessibility and inclusion, offering a practical solution to empower caregivers and care recipients to navigate everyday travel needs. Whether it’s to attend a doctor’s appointment, a quick trip to the supermarket, or to meet a friend for a coffee, we want to help give greater peace of mind and make it easier to take care of those you care for.

Uber Caregiver will allow care recipients to seamlessly add their caregivers or support workers directly to the Uber app, empowering carers to book rides on behalf of those they assist, using the care receiver’s preferred payment method. The new feature also includes Uber’s always-on safety features, such as the ability to track the progress of rides and an all-new three-way in-app chat function built especially for Uber Caregiver, to ensure open communication between carers, passengers, and driver partners. Rides can be booked on-demand or scheduled up to 90 days in advance, offering caregivers flexibility and control over transportation planning.

Providing consultation on Uber’s ongoing work in providing accessible transportation options for people with disability and access needs, Zack Alcott, Co-CEO of Get Skilled Access comments, “Accessible travel and transportation often presents challenges for elderly people and those living with disability, who may face logistical, emotional, and safety barriers when travelling. We all have a responsibility to contribute to a more inclusive society – one that genuinely understands and addresses the needs of those who require additional assistance when getting around. By simplifying travel for people with disability, accessibility needs, and the caregivers who support them, we are pleased to see Uber’s efforts in removing barriers for a large and important group of Aussies. We look forward to seeing the positive impact the new Uber Caregiver feature will have on the community.”

Uber Caregiver has been developed by the Uber Health product team, who recognised the needs facing this population. With the launch of Uber Caregiver, our goal is to work closely with local businesses and government to provide users with more innovative consumer-facing Uber Health products. It also builds on Uber’s broader commitment to providing accessible transport including the introduction of 13-Uber – a phone-based booking service for those who are not as comfortable booking rides via an app.

Uber Caregiver is now available nationwide within the Uber app.

How it works:

To set up Uber Caregiver, both the caregiver and care receiver will need an Uber account.
The care recipient will have to add their preferred payment method. Once the payment method is added, the care recipient can designate a caregiver by selecting someone from their existing contacts or by entering their contact information manually.
The designated caregiver will then receive a notification of the request. If they do not have the Uber app, they will receive an SMS message instead.
Once the caregiver accepts, they can use the “Caregiver profile” to request and track services on behalf of the care recipient.
All Uber Caregiver trips include Uber’s always-on safety features, such as tracking the progress of rides and a three-way in-app chat function designed for open communication between caregivers, passengers, and driver partners. Rides can also be booked on demand or reserved up to 90 days in advance.