Staff Spotlight: Cheryl Giangregorio

“It’s all about the people carrying out our Mission every day”

Cheryl Giangregorio, Director of the Courtyard, the Memory Care Unit at Youville Place, Lexington, Massachusetts, has been drawn to helping senior citizens her entire life and wouldn’t have it any other way. “There’s so much to learn from our elders and spending time with them and learning their stories is so rewarding for me,” Cheryl shared.

“With memory care residents we are dealing with a disease of loss, whether it’s a form of dementia or Alzheimer’s, and my purpose is to bring light to everyone, if only for a moment,” she said. “I have so much love to give, as do the people I work with, and so together we embrace and carry out our Mission of compassion, integrity, collaboration and excellence every day. We want all who are in our care, as well as their families, to know they are loved and that we really care about them. We want to make the rest of their lives as meaningful as possible.”

Cheryl leads her team of healthcare professionals by example and says communication is key. “Memory loss is a disease of progression and affects people in different ways,” she explained, “so we have to be flexible and able to change direction quickly if necessary. Making sure each resident’s needs are met is our number one priority, and so we develop individual approaches to ensure their safety and well-being. Sharing information with one another about things we see and observe is so important.”

“I believe part of my job is to remove the fear of memory loss and the changes it can bring,” Cheryl said. “It’s an education process—for residents, their families, caregivers, even staff—and learning how to use the tools to navigate is part of the journey.”