Love
- We create a safe, nurturing environment.
- We care for and serve others.
- We are builders.
- We see the good in people.
- We value the gifts and uniqueness of all.
- We support families.
Where it began
How We Became Aspen
Two years of searching led Gary and Julie to work they could pour their hearts into.
It all started in 2004 when Gary and Julie finally found senior care. They had been searching for two years, looking for options to start their own family business. They wanted a business that would do good in the community, be fulfilling, and provide a service they could be passionate about every day. Senior care fit the bill!
In their research, they found that seniors in the final years of their lives need help and want to stay connected to the people and community they love. Gary and Julie love people and enjoy getting to know people from all walks of life. They are also very family-oriented and love their children, grandchildren, and big extended family. After researching the market, Gary and Julie decided to join The Senior’s Choice network and start Aspen Senior Care during the summer of 2004.
If we trust the caregivers to take good care of our parents, then we know we can trust them to take good care of your parents.
Since then, they have focused on finding top-notch caregivers first and foremost. In fact, they have cared for all four of their parents in their later years with the help of amazing caregivers.
- 2004Aspen Senior Care begins
Gary and Julie open their family’s in-home care business.
- 2009The Day Center begins
A welcoming daytime community is created for local seniors.
- TodayThe legacy continues
The Aspen Family carries their values forward every day.
How the Day Center began
A House of Good
In 2009, Gary had the idea of starting an activity day center for seniors with memory loss. Julie's parents, Joan and Jay Mitton, owned an old church on Canyon Road in Provo and graciously let him turn it into one.
It took almost a year, and everyone pitched in: Gary and Julie, their sons, Julie's parents, neighbors, and the community helped repaint, re-roof, re-carpet, and brighten the old building. With two good neighbors, Julie Smith and Pam Hicks, by his side, Aspen Senior Day Center soon opened its doors as one of only two licensed adult day centers in Utah Valley.
“You’ve taken a house of God and turned it into a house of GOOD.”
— A local leader at the open house
The center's mission is to give families another option: helping them keep their aging loved ones at home longer and doing better than they would otherwise. The Salt Lake Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association introduced Gary to Cognasium, a “gymnasium for the brain,” which is still at the heart of every day at Aspen. Julie Smith has led the activity program from the beginning, even keeping the doors open safely through the pandemic.
Gary often said the day center succeeded because the right people were brought together to build it, and that spirit of family and community still fills the old church on Canyon Road today.
A legacy of gratitude
Who We Are
In 2004, Gary and Julie Staples started Aspen Senior Care, in-home care for seniors. In 2009, they opened Aspen Senior Day Center, a day program for seniors living with memory loss, Parkinson's, and other age-related challenges.
As Gary and Julie look back, they are so grateful to have been able to serve the seniors in the community for so many years through Aspen Senior Care and Center.
While battling lung cancer, Gary wrote 7 Silver Linings of a Terminal Diagnosis to encourage others who travel the same challenging path. He wanted to share his perspective about the many blessings that came through those challenges and the great gift of life he enjoyed.
“No regrets, just a lot of gratitude.”
— Gary Staples
We strive to continue his legacy as we carry those values on through Aspen.
What guides us
Care Beyond Expectations
Our values, made visible in the everyday.
Trust
- We are honest and trustworthy.
- We are accountable, dependable, and consistent.
- We show respect and professionalism.
- We are transparent.
- We are a safe place.
- We respect the boundaries of others.
Passion
- We bring passion to every day.
- We serve with heart and purpose.
- We inspire love, service, and excellence.
- We love what we do and do what we love.
Excellence
- We go above and beyond.
- We are focused.
- We deliver results.
- We are organized and show great attention to detail.
- We are always prepared.
- We do our best work.
- We solve problems quickly.
- We strive for continual improvement.
- We communicate effectively.
Connection
- We are The Aspen Family.
- We are active and reflective listeners.
- We are intuitive and sensitive.
- We create a fun and enjoyable environment.
- We treat others with kindness and inclusion.
- We assume the best.
- We seek to share our light with others.
This is The Aspen Family — built on love, carried forward with gratitude.
Come See the Aspen Family for Yourself
Visit the center, meet our team, and see what a day at Aspen looks like.