By Rachel Aubrey| [email protected]

Riding a bike 9,000 miles around the country may seem like a daunting task for some. For CEO Jeff Salter, it was a chance to bring awareness to a deficit in senior citizen care. 

On June 24, Salter spoke to a group of residents at Legacy Center in South Jordan and explained his purpose and mission in riding his e-bike across the country, stopping in at least 40 cities to identify the gap in senior care.

“The movement’s name, close the gap, is symbolic because, in cycling riders close the gap between themselves in order to draft off each other,” Salter said. “That concept epitomizes what our company does and how all of us can work together to help seniors safely and happily age in place.”

The founder of Caring Senior Service, Salter embarked on the trek across the country to celebrate 30 years of his company providing care solutions and maintaining active involvement for seniors. In those 30 years, Salter and his colleagues have identified a trend they are hoping to bring awareness to and prevent. 

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among adults age 65 and older. Alongside the close the gap movement is the “grab the bar” campaign. The campaign is focused on raising funds to purchase and install grab bars in senior living facilities or in personal homes. The campaign has raised $31,982 to date.

Salter began his journey in his home base of San Antonio, Texas, on April 5. He moved from state to state along the Midwest, the East Coast and eventually rode into the Salt Lake Valley. His bike tour will end on Aug. 1 back in San Antonio.

“It’s exciting to get to see the country at 15 miles per hour,” Salter said. “I’ve gotten to feel the warmth of the people we’ve met along the way.”

Salter opted to ride an electric bike to help with those more arduous parts of his journey. Pulling a small trailer behind his bike with his camping supplies, and stopping for several days per location, Salter admitted that the small breaks help to break up the monotony. 

The company Caring Senior Service has a local franchise located in Midvale where owners Brandy and Wade Andersen run a staff of approximately 58. The Andersen’s were eager to hear Salter address the Legacy residents.

“We are so proud of Jeff,” Brandy Andersen said. “He has inspired us. He is so attainable, even at the upper management level.”

Both Brandy and her husband, Wade, have a background in caring for those who often are unable to care for themselves. Brandy began her work for Caring Senior Service in Arizona before returning to her native Utah to open a franchise of the business. Her husband Wade, a 20-year Army veteran, has spent many years fostering veterans who needed a place to live. The couple has the only franchise of Caring Senior Service in Utah and are very hands on.

“Aging in place at home is our goal,” Andersen said.

The grab the bar campaign in on-going and the goal is providing grab bars in homes and senior centers across the country for those who are most at risk. To donate to the cause, visit www.caringseniorservice.com/grabthebars. For more information about Caring Senior Service Wasatch, visit www.caringseniorservice.com/wasatch.