Our Senior Advocate Team

Sharon Balleau, Founder and Senior Care Advisor.  She and Jeff have 2 adult children.  They also have a rescue dog, Gabby, that enjoys going on walks and swimming in creeks at the local park.

Sharon works closely with independent, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing communities to find the best level of care for the individual needs of each client. Helping senior families since 2012, she is a certified dementia practitioner.  Prior to working with seniors, Sharon worked with the local special school district teaching non-verbal autistic preschoolers.

Sharon is a member of COCMA, St. Louis Care Alliance, Senior Resource Teams, VOYCE, Senior Task Force, West County Chamber; she is also the current President of the Breakthrough Coalition and is a trusted resource within the senior industry.

For more information, contact Sharon.

Jeff Balleau, Founder and Senior Care Advisor.  He has 4 adult children.  Jeff had a frustrating experience getting transparent, honest information for his own aging father in 2009. As a result, he built Transitions for Senior Living.  It is intentionally an independent family-owned business so that there would be no limitations from a franchise on limitations on how we choose to help families.  He loves working with client families, helping them understand the best community fit for their loved one.

Jeff has been helping seniors since 2012, and he has also served community organizations as volunteer with Breakthrough Coalition Steering Committee, COCMA board, St. Louis Care Alliance, VOYCE, and the Wildwood YMCA Board of Advisors. Jeff is member of the National Placement and Referral Alliance and has trained as a dementia practitioner.

Carmen has been in the senior living industry for over a decade. As a licensed Assisted Living Administrator and Certified Dementia Practitioner, Carmen has worked in many roles in senior living communities.

Carmen brings her understanding of the needs of seniors to her encounters with families—seeking to listen, advocate, and serve well.  Her passion for helping families runs deep.  She loves getting to know the stories and lives of others, and she’s a helper at heart.  Carmen advised her own parents as they made their choice to move to senior living; therefore, she recognizes the need for everyone to have access to a resource like Transitions for Senior Living when making such an important decision.  Previously, Carmen was a teacher, so her desire to educate families and seniors is part of her DNA.  She has served on several industry committees through the years and believes strongly in giving back whenever possible.

Carmen is a native St. Louisan with two sons.  She spends her free time reading, trying new restaurants with friends, and enjoying her deck.  Carmen also enjoys the beach, happy hours with friends, chocolate anything, and live music.  If you attend The Crossing, you may see her singing with the worship team on occasion, too.

For more information, contact Carmen.

Tena has worked in the Long Term Care services for over 10 years. She was Director of Marketing for a senior community, but now, she provides community outreach for Transitions for Senior Living. Prior to her director role, Tena was a Physician Representative for 20 years for a large medical laboratory company. She has a degree in education and communications.

While navigating the long term care system with her aging parents—one with dementia—Tena gained knowledge and understanding of the struggles families face when deciding on the right community for their loved one.

She is an empty nester with 2 adult children and 2 grandsons and enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends.

Tena is a member of the Breakthrough Coalition Steering Committee and Education Committee, Senior Resource Teams and Senior Task Force. She has also volunteered on committees for VOYCE and the Alzheimer’s Association. Currently, Tena volunteers at Missouri Baptist Hospital.