SAN ANTONIO, Texas (April 28, 2021)—Caring Senior Service, a national in-home, nonmedical care provider committed to improving the lives of seniors, is celebrating its 30th anniversary by creating a movement to address the unmet needs faced by aging adults who live at home. The company’s founder and CEO, Jeff Salter, is riding 9,000 miles across the country on an electric bike to officially launch the “Close the Gap in Senior Care” movement to raise awareness and funds for senior care needs in the United States to help seniors safely age in place. Salter’s bike tour kicked off in San Antonio, Texas on April 1, 2021, with four months of cycling ahead of him to visit each of Caring Senior Service’s 45 locations, where he will spearhead efforts to start local conversations about senior care needs.
The movement is focusing its efforts on fall prevention with a fundraising campaign called “Grab the Bars.” The campaign will generate funding for grab bars to be purchased and installed in seniors’ homes, helping them avoid falls—the leading cause of fatal injury among older adults. A recent national survey commissioned by Caring Senior Service confirmed the risk of falling is a major barrier to aging at home. This risk is almost double the second-greatest concern of “suffering severe loneliness.” People can learn more about the fundraising campaign and donate to the cause by clicking here.
“I am so excited to be embarking on this bike journey to celebrate 30 years of Caring Senior Service and to jumpstart this important conversation that is so often overlooked in the public conversation,” Salter said. “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. They get farther and faster working as a team, so closing the gap is critical for peak performance. That concept epitomizes what our company does and how all of us can work together—engaging communities through the Close the Gap movement—to help seniors safely and happily age in place.”
Caring Senior Service’s Close the Gap movement is a call for community leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, agencies and the public at large to help ensure seniors have the option of safely aging at home with the support they want and need. Additional findings from the survey found that:
90% of respondents are “very worried” or “somewhat worried” that an older loved one living alone may fall and hurt himself or herself.
68% of survey participants feel that “installing grab bars in the bathroom” or “installing grab bars and rails throughout the home” are the most effective measures to prevent senior falls at home.
Salter’s bike trip entails him leaving his own home, his wife and two grown sons and biking for four months across the country on an e-bike with a camping-trailer attached. Riding an e-bike illustrates the idea that people can do more with a little assistance than they can alone, just like seniors can with in-home care.
The trip will include stops at each Caring Senior Service location, with an event held at each stop to kick-off the “Close The Gap” movement and celebrate 30 years. Salter will also meet with city leaders, senior citizen activists, business members and caregivers to bring attention and engagement to senior care. By the time Salter circles back to San Antonio , he will have traveled across the U.S. twice and visited 25 different states. Salter hopes to leave a legacy of care by convening key stakeholders and inciting them to take actions that empower seniors to thrive at home.
Jeff’s Ride Tour Schedule*
Location Stop: Expected Event Date:
- McAllen, TX April 5, 2021
- Corpus Christi, TX April 6, 2021
- Victoria, TX April 7, 2021
- Lake Jackson, TX April 7, 2021
- Houston, TX April 9, 2021
- Jackson, MS April 15, 2021
- Nashville, TN April 19, 2021
- Chattanooga, TN April 20, 2021
- Atlanta GA April 22, 2021
- Wilmington, NC April 30, 2021
- Raleigh, NC May 3, 2021
- Gainsville, VA May 6, 2021
- Camden, NJ May 10, 2021
- Jenkintown, PA May 11, 2021
- Hamilton Township, NJ May 12, 2021
- West Orange, NJ May 13, 2021
- Stroudsburg, PA May 17, 2021
- Canton, OH May 24, 2021
- Columbus, OH May 25, 2021
- Milwaukee, WI June 1, 2021
- Galesburg, IL June 4, 2021
- Kansas City, KS June 8, 2021
- Omaha, NE June 11, 2021
- Fremont, NE June 11, 2021
- Fort Collins, CO June 16, 2021
- Boulder, CO June 17, 2021
- Midvale, UT June 24, 2021
- Long Beach, CA July 1, 2021
- San Diego, CA July 5, 2021
- Phoenix, AZ July 9, 2021
- Tucson, AZ July 12, 2021
- El Paso, TX July 16, 2021
- Amarillo, TX July 21, 2021
- Dallas, TX July 26, 2021
- Fort Worth, TX July 26, 2021
- Cleburne, TX July 27, 2021
- Austin, TX July 29, 2021
- New Braunfels, TX July 30, 2021
- Kerrville, TX July 31, 2021
- San Antonio, TX August 1, 2021
To follow Salter’s inspiring bike journey, click here.
*Please note, this schedule is subject to change.
