Simplifying the Holidays Can Help Manage the Stress

Shelly Young, Mitzie Watson and Mindy Bannister
Mitzie has more than 30 years of experience as a Registered Nurse. Early in her career, she worked at hospitals and medical clinics in the Fort Worth and Houston areas, providing newborn and pediatric care. Most recently she worked for Pediatric Specialists of Plano and Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD. Several years ago, she redirected her career to care for her mother who was diagnosed with Cognitive Impairment, which has since digressed to Alzheimer’s. Mitzie has been served by the Alzheimer’s Association and now enjoys being able to give back to others by serving as a community educator through the Alzheimer’s Association. With the experience she has gained in caring for her family she has started a business called Assisted Living Locators, which helps to find senior living options for seniors who want or need to make a change in where they live. Mindy is a native Abilenian who holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Hardin-Simmons University, one of three hometown universities, and a master’s degree in Health Education from Texas A&M University. Prior to coming to the Alzheimer’s Association in 2008, she worked for the Texas Department of Health and Abilene Regional Medical Center, both in education and training-related positions. Minds spends most of her days working directly with Association constituents, through Helpline services, community presentations, workshops, and caregiver support groups. In 2009, she started the “Pioneers” Early Stage Group in Abilene, a specialty service for individuals in the early stage of Alzheimer’s and other dementia and their primary care partners. In her Association role, she also works closely with the United Way of Abilene and the West Central Texas Area Agency on Aging.