Meet The Team | Senior Helpers of Huntsville

Meet the Huntsville office

More than 90% of seniors want to age in their own home with dignity but getting the right type of care can seem daunting. At Senior Helpers of Huntsville we believe getting the best care for your loved ones should not be complicated. Mary Jackson opened the Senior Helpers of Huntsville office in 2009 because of her passion for helping others and her interest in the growing need for in-home care services. Mary is committed to delivering the best possible in-home care to seniors in the community.

We take in-home care very seriously and make it a priority to provide the highest level of client service possible. Over the past 10 years we have built an exceptional team of care professionals, each committed to remaining at the forefront of the in-home care industry through our proprietary ongoing training and education programs.

Our History

Senior Helpers of Huntsville was proud to join the system in 2009. Like every other owner, we too are fully-committed to the original goal of providing dependable and affordable in-home care with well-trained caregivers. Nothing is more important to us than being the best available resource for seniors and families in our community.

Owner, Mary Jackson opened Senior Helpers of Huntsville in 2009 because she wanted to give back to her community. In 2006 she was working as a registered nurse at The Surgery Center of Huntsville when she was diagnosed with stage 3 malignant melanoma. Mary became very ill and bedbound at times during her chemo treatments. In a matter of months, she went from nurse to patient. She had to rely on her friends and family to take her to treatments, doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping, prepare her meals, and standby assist with ambulation. After a long fight, Mary won the battle.

She knows how hard it is to accept and have to ask for care. She opened Senior Helpers of Huntsville to be sure that as many aging adults and families in her community receive the quality of care and support they deserve.

Our team has grown to 10 team members, and 85 caregivers. We have been lucky to serve hundreds of seniors in our community over the years, and we are committed to continuing to provide uncompromising levels of care to all our families

Our process

The first step in the process is a complimentary, initial in-home care assessment with a Senior Helpers consultant. This assessment can help you understand the true needs of your loved one, and your options. Together we can discuss their needs, our senior care services and determine what’s best for your entire family.

We will cover:

Your family's specific goals

Your loved one's daily plan design and schedule

Pricing and payment methods

Implementation process

Ongoing communication and follow-up plan

Meet the Huntsville Team

Mary Jackson

Home Care Consultant/Owner

Mary M. Jackson R.N., B.S.N. is a registered nurse with over 25 years experience. She is a graduate of UAB School of Nursing. Her career has spanned from NICU at Huntsville Hospital to almost 20 years experience at the Surgery Center of Huntsville. In March of 2006 Mary was diagnosed with Melanoma stage III. She became the patient that she was used to taking care of. Her journey took her to a scary place and back. She decided that she would like to ‘give back’ to the community. In May 2009 Mary proudly opened Senior Helpers. She loves people and believes in the ‘golden rule’. It is important to Mary that all of her staff share her values as well.

Julie Yates

Director of Client Services

Julie was born and raised in Minnesota. After high school Julie enlisted into the Army. It wasn’t until after she completed her military service and had her children that she had the opportunity to study nursing. She graduated as a Licensed Practical Nurse from a Minnesota program in 2002.

Julie and her family then moved to Wisconsin. She worked at an Assisted Living (Dementia Specific) Community for almost 6 years. She started as a Health Coordinator and became the District Manager before moving. Julie’s personal experience with her own grandparents has had a big impact on her relationship with clients. “I see the clients as grandparents – members of the family,” says Julie. “I treat them with respect.” When asked what she enjoys most about her job, Julie says she loves just talking with the clients and getting to know them. “The hugs and the thank you from the clients are really meaningful,” she says. Julie and her family moved to Alabama in 2008. She worked for a Huntsville Gerontologist for a few years before coming to Senior Helpers in 2012.

Julie truly enjoys her relationship with the clients and their families. She wants clients and families to call whenever they have questions or concerns. As to the clients, Julie says “they’re just part of the family.”

Crystal Copney

Director of Caregiver Services

Crystal G. Copney has been in the medical field for 20 years. She has worked several years as a Certified Nursing Assistant. She also worked as a dialysis tech for a couple of years. Most of her experience has been working with the elderly in rehab, assisted living, and skilled facilities. Crystal is about to graduate from Breckinridge School of Nursing with a bachelor’s degree. She decided to pursue the nursing profession after caring for her grandmother for several years when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. She loves helping others and really enjoys working with our senior citizens. Crystal looks forward to furthering her nursing career with Senior Helpers.

Meghan Jackson

Administrative Assistant

Meghan was born and raised in Huntsville, AL. She attended the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama to pursue a nursing career. Two years later, Meghan moved back to Huntsville due to a change in her major. She is currently attending Calhoun Community College pursuing a Business degree with a minor in healthcare management. Meghan became interested in working for Senior Helpers when her mother, Mary Jackson opened Senior Helpers in 2009 (as she would often visit her and the office staff after school). Meghan enjoys working with the caregivers and the clients. Her favorite part of her job is the ability to put a smile on someone’s face. “I know if I am the reason for a smile on one person’s face it has been a great day.” Meghan has been the Administrative Assistant at Senior Helpers for two and a half years now and is very excited about the knowledge and experience she has gained from working at Senior Helpers and looks forward to the future and growing with the company!

Lisa Mendyke

Bookkeeper

Lisa Mendyke was originally hired in January of 2011 as a Client Service Manager for the Huntsville, Alabama Senior Helpers franchise but found herself in the role of Bookkeeper instead. As the Bookkeeper, Lisa manages the payroll, billing and the financials for Senior Helpers.

Lisa was born and raised in Northwest Indiana where she attended Purdue University and received an Associate’s Degree in Business Management. Lisa’s professional experience includes various medical specialties and business administration roles.

Lisa and her family relocated to the Huntsville area nine years ago. She is married and has two daughters, a son-in-law, a grandson and granddaughter.

Shaunnah Parton

Community Relations Coordinator

She was born and raised in Huntsville, AL. She is a mother to a wonderful 9-year-old daughter, Mahaley. She attended nursing school at UAH and graduated from Athens State University with her Bachelor of Science degree in Healthcare Administration and Public Safety.

Professionally, she began working with the geriatric community in Home Health Care as an account executive. Because she was able to market and visit the Assisted Living communities, she began her journey as an Assisted Living Administrator and executive director specializing in memory and dementia (SCALF) communities. She went on to work in several roles in Assisted Living Communities including Marketing Director. She began to realize that families and individuals in the senior community were not always a good fit for the assisted living approach and sought out other options to help these families excel in a win/ win approach. She found that in home care, individualized, as a one-on- one approach help was the best option short and long term. She has worked with several in home care companies as, the senior service coordinator (Sales/Marketing), that offer in- home services. Shaunnah is looking forward to joining the team at Senior Helpers as their Community Relations Coordinator and Helping Seniors stay longer and healthier in their home with assistance. Wherever their home may be. She will strive to be an asset to our community in Huntsville, AL.

Cynthia Singleton

Scheduling Coordinator

Cynthia is a native from Detroit Michigan. She is the youngest of 11 children. She moved to Huntsville in 2015. She is a mother of two sons, and she has 1 grandson. She loves caring for the elderly and children. She loves to cook, and her specialty is baking cakes.

Kaylee Mendyke

Receptionist

Kaylee was born in Hobart, Indiana. She moved with her family to Huntsville in 2006. Kaylee graduated from Grissom High School in 2017 and is currently attending Calhoun Community College. Kaylee has a special place in her heart for all children and seniors. She is happy and grateful to be a part of the Senior Helpers Family!

Frances Moore

Weekend On-Call

Frances Moore is a diploma registered nurse. She got her bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration. Frances has 24 years administrative experience in an acute care hospital setting. She has years of experience in problem solving and staffing interaction with both clients and caregivers. Frances joined Senior Helpers in a part time role after meeting Julie and Mary at a continuing education class. She has become part of our Senior Helpers family in more ways than one. Her official job title is weekend on-call.

Rick Jackson

Business Management

Meet the Huntsville office

Our History

Our process

Meet the Huntsville Team

Senior Helpers of Huntsville in the Community

Areas We Serve