Influential Woman · Senior Living Industry

Cheryl Bambach

Owner & Advisor, Shero Senior Living Advisors

Staten Island, NY

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree University of Albany - Bachelor's Degree in Psychology Cert Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) Member Certified Senior Advisors (CSA)

Her Story

About Cheryl

I've been in the senior living industry for over 20 years, starting as a moving coordinator in a New York City community and working my way up to Director of Sales and Marketing over 6 years. I then moved to the Upper West Side as Assistant Executive Director, where I learned about care, medical diagnoses, and medication management. In both communities, I witnessed how moving to senior living truly saves lives - I saw seniors come in isolated and depressed, and 3 to 6 months later they were completely different people, which would have never happened if they stayed in their home. After having my first son, I moved closer to home on Staten Island and ran assisted living and memory care communities there, including opening a new community. Running communities is not a typical job - you're caring for over 200 seniors, speaking with family members, making sure they're comfortable with services. I was there for snowstorms, COVID, holidays, weekends, overnight, any emergency - the buck laid with me. After my second son was born, I realized I needed more time at home with my kids, who are 7 and 10. When I left, I really missed working with seniors and that community feeling, that idea that I was helping senior citizens every day. So I started Shero Senior Living Advisors in July, offering free guidance to seniors and their families when they're looking to make the right move to assisted living, independent living, or memory care. The name comes from the fact that communities and people who work with seniors save lives - they're heroes - and with 80% of the workforce being women, we're sheroes. My expertise from working in the New York area for so long allows me to understand different communities, different licensures, and help seniors find the best fit not just for the current moment, but looking 5 years down the line, so they don't have to make 2 or 3 moves in 5 years.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Cheryl

01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

My advice would be to not limit yourself, to make sure that you are involved in every aspect of the business, so that you have a real, true understanding and can make the most appropriate decisions when it comes to either your professional career or when you're assisting the senior that you're working with.

02What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

I think the biggest challenge is still the stigma of an assisted living community. Years ago when I first started, it really wasn't known to everybody the way it is now, but there still is somewhat of a stigma - like you're going to move into a place where everybody needs help, and it's not a lively place that it really is. I think it's just the education of what it is, that it is there to really bring socialization, activities, things that you used to love doing but can't do anymore because you're isolated, whether it's difficulty getting places or no longer having the same friend group in the area. It's a way to really get your life back, as opposed to giving your life up. Also, part of what I do, there are national companies that provide similar services, but not the personal service that I can provide within the New York area, so it's really just making sure people know who I am, without all of the national campaigning that larger companies can do. So it's like a small business competing against large businesses nationwide.

03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

Really, just doing the right thing. Regardless of whether a community is the most expensive community, if it's not the right fit for my client, I'm not going to have them pursue that community, because really what I want to make sure is done is the right thing, and the right fit for that person. There's so many options out there that it's important to be able to understand which options might work best for you, because not every community is the right fit for every single senior or every single resident. You have to really make sure that you are making sure that it's the right move for them, and being honest when it's likely not going to be, or if it's not something that you're able to help them with. Honesty, I think, is the biggest quality that's so important in the field.

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