Lead Driver - Participant Care

Responsibilities

• Provides transportation for frail and elderly participants from their home to Day Centers and appointments during the day and for field trips as part of the activities program.
• Delivers in-home meals and provides delivery and pick-up of supplies and medications for participants.
• Performs pre‑ and post‑trip inspections.
• Monitors vehicles, participant safety, and supplies.
• Works in collaboration with the Manager of Transportation and the Scheduler, communicating issues in writing and assisting in driver education while performing other driving tasks as needed.
• Requires physical attendance at an InnovAge facility and/or an InnovAge participant home to perform job duties.
• Drives InnovAge vehicles safely and responsibly (80% of time), utilizing defensive driving skills, following InnovAge policies, procedures, and assigned routes.
• Loads and unloads participants in and out of InnovAge vehicles and assists participants into and out of their homes per InnovAge policies.
• Transports participants to all pre‑arranged appointments.
• Delivers in‑home meals, supplies, and medications to participants, ensuring correct delivery to the correct recipient.
• Assists participants into their homes and helps with simple tasks when appropriate (e.g., helping with outerwear, moving obstructing items).
• Keeps Dispatch updated on all events of assigned routes.
• Maintains safety and cleanliness of assigned vehicle and coordinates van‑maintenance scheduling with the Manager of Transportation.
• Assists other drivers with loading and unloading of participants arriving and exiting the center.
• Participates in interdisciplinary team formulation of Plans of Care for InnovAge PACE program participants and in other team settings that plan, coordinate, and monitor participant care.
• Receives and signs for medications from the clinic on a timely basis.
• Assigns medications to the route and driver, ensuring all medications are signed for and delivered.
• Ensures medications are kept in safe keeping when not assigned to a driver to prevent mishandling.
• Collects all delivery receipts, ensures completion of deliveries, and returns receipts to the delivering department (Clinic/Day Center) promptly.
• Labels and distributes personal supplies and meals to the driver’s boxes for delivery.
• Ensures all participants are out of the center at the end of the day.
• Monitors vehicles for adequate supplies and cleanliness/presentability.
• Monitors pre‑trip inspections of other drivers in addition to own vehicle.
• Assists in driver training and performs ride‑alongs with current and new drivers to ensure route comprehension.
• Handles last‑minute driving requests for absent drivers or changing plans.
• Covers a modified driving route each day and a full route when needed.
• Acts as a liaison between drivers and the Transportation Manager regarding transportation issues, communicating verbally and in writing to the Manager and dispatch personnel.

Qualifications

• Minimum age 21 years with six months prior experience as a Driver within InnovAge.
• Excellent driving record: no more than two points on state motor vehicle record and collision‑ and incident‑free for the previous six months (not found culpable if involved in a collision or incident).
• Previous DOT and Defensive Driving experience.
• One year of experience working with the frail or elderly.
• High school diploma or GED; or one year or more of relevant experience may substitute for the diploma.
• Ability to lift, push, pull, and carry up to 75 pounds.
• Licensure requirements vary by state:
  • California (San Bernardino & Sacramento Centers): Valid Class B CDL with Passenger endorsement (Class A accepted), good driving record, age ≥21.
  • California (Los Angeles), Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Virginia: Valid state Driver’s License