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Juanita doesn’t like to sit still. She worked on her feet in distribution for LensCrafters for 21 years before retiring about 10 years ago. “I like the action. I don’t like to sit down all day,” she said.

Participating in Bingocize helped the widow, 71, keep moving. The workshop is one of Council on Aging’s (COA) free health and wellness workshops for older adults. Bingocize combines Bingo with health education. “I loved the class, I loved the exercise,” Juanita said. But she admitted her favorite part was when she got to call out “Bingo!”

She also enjoyed the no-cost rides to Bingocize provided by home52 Transportation, a service operated by COA subsidiary home52 that provides same-day and advance-scheduled transportation for riders who need specialized transportation services. Juanita’s rides to and from Bingocize were funded by a grant that home52 Transportation received to help older adults and those with disabilities to remain independent and combat isolation.

Juanita had to put Bingocize on the backburner in June 2025, when she suddenly found herself in the hospital, receiving treatment for kidney disease and heart problems she didn’t previously know she had.

Fortunately, Juanita had enrolled in Hamilton County ESP in 2023 when several known conditions had put her at risk for falls. Services including home-delivered meals, housekeeping assistance and an emergency response system, helped her maintain her independence.

But when she arrived home from the hospital in 2025, she found that getting around was even more challenging than before. She already used a cane for balance, but “because of swelling, I had to wrap my legs so I couldn’t drive. I did not like that, boy I did not like that,” she said.

ESP is flexible and care managers monitor clients, making changes to their care plans as their needs change. Juanita’s care manager, Kristy, procured a lift chair that she now uses to elevate her legs to prevent swelling. She is extremely enthusiastic about the lift chair, which has become her favorite place to relax at home, and is equally enthusiastic about the transportation services she receives as an ESP client. “The transportation is a lifesaver for me,” Juanita said. “Without it, I’d be in trouble.”

In addition to providing no-cost, grant-funded rides for those who qualify, home52 Transportation is the transportation provider for Hamilton County ESP clients who qualify, like Juanita. She uses the service for essential errands like getting to and from medical appointments, the grocery store and the laundromat.

Some children and grandchildren who live nearby help Juanita as much as possible, but they have jobs and other commitments and aren’t always available to drive her places. “This is really helping my family out too. I don’t know what they would do without these rides,” she said.

In addition to no-cost, grant-funded rides that are available to those in Hamilton and Clermont counties who qualify, home52 Transportation provides transportation for eligible clients of community partners such as Clermont County Job and Family Services and several hospital systems and medical providers. A private-pay option is available for those who don’t qualify for free service.