About My Senior Living Ally: Our Story

Old man with glasses

By Sarah Carderón, Certified Senior Transition Specialist

My Senior Living Ally was born from personal experience.

When my partner’s father was brought from Puerto Rico to California, the original plan was for all four siblings to share caregiving responsibilities. Like many families, everyone wanted to help, but life circumstances made that difficult. Over time, he came to live with us, and we became his primary caregivers for eight months.

As his dementia progressed, it became clear that he would eventually need more specialized care than could safely be provided at home. While the family agreed that memory care was likely the right solution, we quickly discovered how difficult it was to navigate the senior living system. We contacted referral services hoping for guidance, but most simply provided lists of phone numbers and community names. We were left to do the research ourselves.

Over the course of several months, we toured communities, learned the differences between levels of care, compared pricing structures, explored financing options, reviewed admission requirements, and tried to understand a process that felt overwhelming, confusing, and emotionally exhausting.

We often found ourselves wishing someone would simply sit down with us, explain our options, answer our questions, and help us make sense of it all. That experience changed us.

Determined to help other families avoid the frustration and uncertainty we faced, I completed specialized training through Mom's House and became a Certified Senior Living Transition Specialist. Together, Rebeca and I created My Senior Living Ally to provide the kind of guidance we wish we had received.

Today, our mission is simple: to help seniors and their families navigate senior living decisions with confidence, compassion, and personalized support.

Because no family should have to figure it out alone.

Meet the Team

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Sarah Calderon

Certified Transition Specialist

Sarah co-founded My Senior Living Ally to help seniors and their families navigate life's transitions with greater confidence and peace of mind during what can often be an emotional and overwhelming time.

Her compassionate approach and commitment to personalized service are rooted in decades of experience as a professional mediator, specializing in family mediation and helping families work through elder care issues.

Drawing on both her professional background and personal experiences caring for aging loved ones, Sarah pursued additional training through Mom’s House and became a Certified Transition Specialist. Today, she works closely with families to understand their unique needs, educate them about available options, and guide them through the senior living selection process.

A woman with short gray hair, wearing glasses and a maroon hoodie, smiling and taking a selfie in an art studio filled with landscape paintings on the walls.

Rebeca Garcia-Gonzalez

Community Engagement

Rebeca is the other co-founder of My Senior Living Ally. Her role involves building meaningful connections with seniors, families, community organizations, and industry partners by fostering community relationships, coordinating outreach efforts, and connecting families with valuable resources.

Rebeca brings many years of experience working in similar roles for both corporate and non-profit organizations. After experiencing the challenges of finding a placement for her own father, she became passionate about the need to help families feel welcomed, informed, and supported throughout their entire senior living journey.

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LaMel Smith

Licensed Real Estate Broker -DRE - R01262615

LaMel understands the challenges of selling a longtime family home. He brings valuable real estate expertise to families who are navigating housing transitions as part of their senior living decisions. Lamel helps families make informed housing and financial decisions by exploring their options. For some families, this includes learning how real estate assets may help cover the cost of senior living.

For the past 25 years, LaMel has also demonstrated his compassion, strong communication skills and commitment to the community by volunteering his time to lead a local food bank serving seniors and unhoused individuals in Oakland. His dedication to helping others carries through to his work with My Senior Living Ally.

A Latina female nurse wearing a brown uniform with a pink stethoscope around her neck, dark hair, and natural makeup.

Savanna Christie Amado

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) & Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)

By working directly with residents in senior living communities, Savanna has developed an understanding of the daily needs of seniors, their health considerations, and the different levels of care they may require. Her hands-on experience provides families with valuable insight as they explore senior living options and consider which communities can best meet their loved ones' needs.

Savanna is bilingual in English and Spanish and is committed to serving the Latino community. She brings compassion, a caring approach, and an understanding of the importance of making seniors and their families feel comfortable and supported.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • We are paid by the senior living communities where we make the placements.

  • The cost varies according to location, amenities offered, the level of care needed by your loved one and an initial community fee.

    The average cost of a community care facility in the San Francisco Bay Area ranges from $5000 to $10,000 per month.

  • We serve seven out of the nine Bay Area counties. We work with San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Contra Costa, and Alameda counties.

  • Contact us so we can answer your questions over the phone.