OTOE, Neb. (KMTV) — To shed light on senior care, one man is biking thousands of miles across the country to launch a movement called "Close the Gap in Senior Care." In doing so, he hopes to raise awareness and money to install grab bars to prevent falls — falls which can be deadly for the elderly.
Jeff Salter, the CEO of Caring Senior Service — a national in-home, non-medical care provider — is biking 9000 miles cross-country to highlight the gaps in senior care.
"I'm riding an electric bike, out of a symbol, because of a symbol, it's a symbol of assistance," Jeff said.
Jeff believes anyone — especially seniors — can achieve anything by accepting help.
"With a little bit of assistance, people can achieve things they didn't think was possible," Jeff said. "People can remain at home longer than they would normally without some sort of help to be brought in their home and assist them."
The company is celebrating its 30th anniversary, so Jeff wanted to honor the occasion by visiting all 45 locations — including locations in the Midwest.
In April, he kicked off his bike tour in San Antonio. Now, he's in Omaha with a mission to inspire people to find the gaps in senior care.
"It could be housing, could be funding. What we found a lot as caregivers, a lot more caregivers [are] needed in our industry," Jeff said. "Hoping to inspire people to become caregivers and do it as a career rather than a stopping point."
Jeff's son Adam is riding with his father on this leg of the journey and he is hoping to carry the torch.
"If you're just sitting there your whole time, you're not going to do things that will inspire others and I think that's something a lot of people should try and do," Adam said. "Everyone should try to inspire each other and make everyone better."
It is proof that power comes in numbers — sometimes in the form of two wheels.
After Nebraska, Jeff is heading to Colorado and Utah. Here's a link to follow his journey.
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