How care center visibility cut calls to dispatch by 80%

Care centers put the focus on transport.

York Alzheimer's Society day program centers serve clients with moderate to advanced dementia—offering connection and care each day. But none of it happens without a ride. In partnership with York Region Transit Mobility On-Request, clients receive hand-to-hand transportation from their door to the vehicle.

Coordinating those trips was a daily challenge. Many riders experienced heightened anxiety in the afternoons and would repeatedly ask staff for updates, often feeling nervous about when their ride would arrive. Staff at each center called dispatch 6–12 times a day for trip statuses. 

With Via’s Caregiver App, that changed immediately. The app provides live trip tracking, reducing “where’s my ride” calls from staff by 80% while improving safety, clarity, and calm for the community. Now, instead of saying “we’re not sure yet” or calling dispatch, center staff can pull up the trip in the app, show riders exactly where their vehicle is, and provide real-time reassurance on the spot.

“The Caregiver App is a powerful coordination tool. We have noticed a reduction in calls coming from day center staff across the board.”
— Tara, York Region Transit

Real-time visibility smooths operations.

When staff no longer has to guess when a rider will arrive or depart, they can plan ahead, coordinate their team, and ensure clients feel supported.

How center operations transformed:

• Plan ahead for arrivals

  “When rides come in, we get a 15 and 5-minute arrival warning. It helps us plan how to spread the team out… It gives us more prep time—we can have drinks and activities ready.” — Ryan, Alzheimer’s Association

• Confirm safe drop-offs

  “All Alzheimer’s customers must be signed off as being dropped off at home… This caregiver portal is beautiful—they can literally watch everyone get home.” — Tara, York Region Transit

• Simplify scheduling around closures

  “For holiday weeks when we are closed, we use it to cancel rides to the center on behalf of clients and families.” — Laura, Alzheimer’s Association

Bottom line.

With real-time visibility and newfound control, York Region’s Alzheimer's centers have transformed how they move clients—making every pickup smoother and every dropoff safer. The result is significantly fewer calls to dispatch and a calmer, more human experience over the course of the day.

Want to leverage community center management tools to reduce calls to dispatch? Get in touch—we’d love to show you how Via can help.