Author Archives: Tina Winslow

Managing Family Healthcare During the Holiday Season

Amidst the holiday shopping spree, don’t forget your family’s health needs. The holidays are full of excitement, but they can also bring challenges when it comes to keeping your family healthy. Managing family healthcare during the holiday season means staying prepared for anything—from everyday care to unexpected health concerns. With some thoughtful planning and the right support, you can enjoy the holidays while ensuring everyone stays safe and well.

Why the Holidays Can Be Tricky for Healthcare

The holiday season can make it hard to stick to regular routines. Travel plans, parties, and colder weather all add new layers to family healthcare management. For example, holiday gatherings often bring more exposure to seasonal illnesses like colds or the flu. If you’re caring for someone with a chronic illness or disability, it can be even tougher to balance their needs with the demands of holiday activities.

These challenges can feel overwhelming, but there’s good news. PyxisCare offers support that can make a real difference. Whether you need help with medical coordination, family caregiving, or creating a plan for emergencies, they’re here to take some of the stress off your shoulders.

Start with a Plan

Planning ahead is the best way to avoid stress. First, make sure you have all the basics ready, like medications, medical supplies, and updated medical records. It’s also smart to know where the nearest healthcare facilities are if you’re traveling. If someone in your family has a chronic illness, talking to their doctor ahead of time about potential health concerns can save a lot of worry.

Small steps like these can make a big difference. When you’re prepared, you’ll be able to handle unexpected situations with confidence. Holiday healthcare planning might feel like just another thing on your to-do list, but it can give you peace of mind throughout the season.

Staying Safe at Gatherings

Holiday parties are a time to enjoy good food and company, but they can also come with risks. For instance, food allergies can be a concern at potlucks or shared meals. A quick chat about ingredients before serving food can help avoid allergic reactions.

Weather is another factor to keep in mind. Slippery sidewalks and driveways can be hazardous, especially for older family members. Taking a moment to clear walkways or provide extra lighting can help everyone feel safer and more comfortable.

Caring for Your Loved Ones

If you’re a family caregiver, the holidays can be especially tough. Juggling caregiving responsibilities and holiday preparations can leave you feeling stretched thin. That’s where PyxisCare can help. Their services include personalized care plans and medical coordination, which means you don’t have to manage everything on your own. They’ll help make sure your loved ones get the care they need so you can enjoy the holidays, too.

Handling the Unexpected

Even with careful planning, emergencies can still happen. Knowing the signs of serious issues, like trouble breathing or sudden pain, is important. Acting quickly and staying calm can make all the difference. Having a trusted service like PyxisCare in your corner means you’ll always have expert support when it matters most.

Managing family healthcare during the holiday season doesn’t have to be stressful. By planning ahead, staying mindful of potential risks, and using professional support when you need it, you can focus on what the holidays are really about—spending time with the people you love. With PyxisCare’s help, you can create a season that’s not just joyful, but also safe and healthy for everyone.

The Comprehensive Guide to Managing Holiday Health Emergencies

The holidays are a time for joy and connection, but unexpected health problems can quickly turn celebrations into stressful situations. From minor injuries to more serious medical issues, holiday health emergencies can happen when we least expect them. With a little preparation and the right support, you can manage these challenges while keeping your family safe and your holidays on track.

Understanding Holiday Health Risks

During the holiday season, we’re exposed to situations that can increase health risks. Cold weather, festive gatherings, and busy schedules can sometimes lead to unexpected medical problems. For example, someone might catch the flu at a family dinner, or an elderly relative could slip on icy walkways. Knowing what could go wrong is the first step to staying ready.

If you’re caring for a loved one with a chronic illness or disability, the holidays can bring extra challenges. Between managing their regular medical care and planning for holiday activities, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. This is where professional support, like PyxisCare’s medical crisis management services, can help ease the burden and keep everyone healthy and safe.

How to Stay Prepared for Medical Emergencies

Preparation is key to handling holiday health emergencies. Start by making sure you have the basics covered. Keep a well-stocked first aid kit, any needed medications, and important medical records easily accessible. If someone in your family has a chronic condition, talk with their doctor about potential health triggers during the holidays and how to avoid them.

It’s also important to plan ahead for any medical care you might need. Research nearby urgent care centers and hospitals before traveling. Make a list of emergency contact numbers, including doctors and family members. These simple steps can help you act quickly if a health issue arises.

During holiday gatherings, pay attention to potential risks. Food allergies, for example, are common and can lead to emergencies if not managed properly. Talk to your guests about ingredients in shared dishes or prepare allergy-friendly options. For older adults, make sure walkways are clear and safe to prevent falls. Small adjustments like these can help you avoid many common holiday health problems.

Caring for Loved Ones with Complex Medical Needs

If you’re taking care of someone with a chronic illness or disability, the holidays can feel even more overwhelming. Routine care needs don’t stop just because it’s the holiday season, and adding festive activities to the mix can stretch your time and energy thin.

This is where PyxisCare can make a difference. We offer personalized health management plans, helping families balance holiday celebrations with ongoing care. Our services cover everything from regular health maintenance to urgent medical crisis management, so you can enjoy the season without compromising your loved one’s care.

Responding to Health Emergencies

Despite your best efforts, emergencies can still happen. If someone gets sick or injured, staying calm is the most important thing you can do. Knowing basic first aid and recognizing serious symptoms, like chest pain or difficulty breathing, can help you respond quickly. Don’t hesitate to seek professional care when needed, and always keep emergency contact information handy.

The holidays are a time to cherish, and with the right planning, you can handle holiday health emergencies without letting them overshadow your celebrations. Whether it’s preparing for the unexpected or leaning on PyxisCare’s expert support, taking proactive steps will give you peace of mind and more time to focus on what matters most—your loved ones.

By staying prepared and seeking help when needed, you can navigate holiday health emergencies confidently and ensure a safe and joyful season for everyone.

Mindy’s Thanksgiving Letter

Happy Thanksgiving Friends,

The PyxisCare team spends the month of November celebrating all that we’re thankful for. Our loyal clients, collaborators, referral network and friends continue to serve as inspiration for our work, and are responsible for the success of our services.

Caregiving is not a simple task; it requires compassion, kindness, expertise and a drive to help people that outweighs the emotional and physical toll. We are grateful for the millions of family and friends who provide caregiving to loved ones, especially those who are making difficult end of life decisions or who are experiencing life changes due to medical conditions.

My team is grateful to corporate and small business leaders who make smart and compassionate decisions for their employees everyday, ensuring they have the best in benefits and wellness support. And we thank the many advisors who work closely with PyxisCare to ensure holistic solutions for our shared clients.

I am especially humbled to work with the finest team of nurses, advocates, client service specialists and benefits experts in the business of care coordination and caregiving.

We are honored to work with you, and for you. Best wishes for a restful holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mindy Jones

Founding Principal, PyxisCare Management

Chris Klemme: Senior Vice President, Trust Officer

“We owe the highest duty of care to our clients.”

Chris Klemme
Senior Vice President/Trust Officer

PyxisCare Management is proud to work with other expert service providers on a daily basis to ensure that a range of client needs are met. Chris Klemme, a Senior Vice President and Trust Officer at American National Bank and Trust Co., is an executive trust officer who brings a wealth of knowledge and a law degree to serving the complex needs of trust clients. Learn more about how the trust process works for clients in need of wholistic care coordination.

What do you think is most valuable for a trust officer from an initial assessment?

A trust officer needs to have a good understanding of the full range of services available to their clients that are both helpful and pragmatic, based upon the specific medical or mental condition of the client.

What are things everyone should know about working with a trust officer?

We are fiduciaries – which means we owe the highest duty of care to our clients. We are also heavily regulated – our departments typically go through a third-party audit and a government examination every year. Documentation is the key to a good results. The documentation provides justification for the money we are expending, or are about to spend; it is also extremely helpful so that any team member in the trust department can review monthly reports to quickly get up to speed on what the clients’ needs have been in the recent past.

How can trust officers utilize care management on behalf of their beneficiaries?

We receive most of our referrals from attorneys. Many times, they expect a bank employee to serve almost as a legal guardian for their clients, when we are often not equipped to do so. Retaining case management partners, like the Nurse Client Advocates at PyxisCare Management, provides the corporate fiduciary with additional eyes and ears on a clients’ situation. Because of their expertise, there have been several times over the years that the case manager for a client has apprised us of needs that the family, for whatever reason, has not.

Why do trust officers need initial assessments of beneficiaries?

Many times, especially by the time a client arrives to us, it has been several months, if not a year or more, since there has been an updated assessment. This is especially important in brain trauma cases, where most specialists say there is a two-year window after the injury for maximum improvement to occur. Trust professionals need an accurate baseline of our client’s medical circumstances at the time the relationship begins, so we can provide the funds for the most critical needs of the client.

What is the biggest benefit of care coordination to your clients?

Having additional qualified professionals who focus on our clients, means that we are always updated on new needs that can be addressed quickly and compassionately. These are items that most bank-trained professionals are not going to pick up, even making house calls. For instance, care coordination professionals might identify the client’s need for therapy or counseling more quickly than others. In some cases, 24/7 caregiving is necessary, and it’s always important to ensure that there is consistent assessment of medical, financial and emotional health.

PyxisCare Education: Mary N

“Trusting PyxisCare to guide us through getting our son the educational
support he needed was the best decision we ever made. We finally felt like
our son wasn’t being seen for the diagnosis he has, but for who he has the
potential to become.”
—Mary N. (working mother of autistic child)

Every parent wants their children to be happy and to feel loved.

As parents, we want those things for our child too, but as our son grew up, our wants and desires for him also grew and changed. At the age of three James was diagnosed with Autism and a speech impairment. With the diagnosis we jumped into early intervention strategies, participating in therapy through the early childhood center and through our public school district as well.

At age five, James transitioned into kindergarten communicating with the support of an AAC (augmentative and alternative) device. He knew his colors and shapes; he knew his numbers and letters as well. We thought he was ready. It wasn’t long into his kindergarten year that we learned that the school district did not feel the same.

This was the first time since the diagnosis that we felt that our son wasn’t “being seen” and that the system we had worked beside for so long, was now working against us. We turned to friends and parents that had worked through similar experiences and they led us to seek the support of an advocate.

Trusting PyxisCare to guide us through getting James the educational support he needed was the best decision we have ever made. PyxisCare walked us through understanding his FIE (full individual and initial valuation) and his IEP (individual education plan), breaking down each section and explaining what it meant in respect to his potential growth, as well as his participation across different settings within the school.

PyxisCare guided us through a process to ensure our “wants” for him came to fruition. They attend ARD (admission, review and dismissal) meetings to support us, and they did a wonderful job collaborating with teachers and administrators to revise goals and schedules to explicitly meet his needs. We finally felt like James wasn’t being seen for the diagnosis he has, but for who he has the potential to become.

PyxisCare has worked with us to develop a meaningful relationship with the staff at his school. Every day we drop him off, we know James is going to be loved and included, and when he comes home – we know he will be genuinely happy.

Back To School Headaches & Heartaches

At my house, we’ve just survived back-to-school season – the drama of haircuts, new uniforms neatly pressed, the books, the backpacks and the return to early mornings, after school activities and late-night studying. These few weeks have been a headache of summer homework and finding the right school supplies. And now we have two teens who are studiously – if not happily – back to school.

However, my BTS headache pales in comparison to the BTS heartache that many of my friends and clients experience as they near the BTS season.

Because at my office, some of our nurse client advocates (NCAs) have been working closely with clients to ensure their children’s special needs are being met, which can be a quagmire of endless paperwork, a battery of expensive diagnostic testing, documentation and meetings with administrators to prepare for the year ahead.

Our school systems have done an admirable job of ensuring that every child’s needs are met to the best of their ability. However, accessing those services and ensuring the complex range of needs varying from neurodiversity and autism to mental illness to the physical limitations of blindness, lack of mobility and more – is often daunting. And because it’s daunting and time consuming, it can be overwhelming to those parents and guardians who navigate these muddied processes that sometimes require local, state and federal services to cooperate.

If you’ve ever had to oversee a child’s 504 plan is being implemented to ensure they’re receiving all necessary accommodations; or conference with teachers and administrators to ensure everyone understands the services a child is set to receive within their IEP (individual education plan), then you know how exhausting and tricky the process can be. All we ever want is to advocate for the best educational experience for our loved ones, and at the minimum, voice that they deserve the same physical, social and academic opportunities as their peers.

This year has been an unusually busy one with clients requesting help with special needs advocacy. While many of us are trained in navigating this particular need, our resident experts are true leaders in coordinating the timing and strategy for each unique challenge.

My goal this year is to appreciate the relative normalcy of my back to school woes and to continue to work hard to ensure that every kid gets a chance to participate, learn and develop into their very best.

Welcome back to school!

Just in Time: From Tipping Point to Turning Point

Two of the most common words that we hear in client interviews and as we begin engagements with individuals and companies are: TIPPING POINT.

As in….“We had passed a tipping point for my mother and we didn’t know it because we were so overwhelmed with our day to day.”

“I knew we were approaching a tipping point, but I felt like we couldn’t avoid a crisis.”

“Our company hit a tipping point where many of us were balancing caregiving duties with full time jobs and I could see the wear and tear on our team.”

You tend to HIT a tipping point. Usually “tipping points” like these, force decision-making
because action has to be taken. PyxisCare shines in this area—we take pride in intervening and mitigating crisis as it happens and making a difference immediately. Often clients come to us needed immediate help.

However, we DO have clients who are focused solely on wellness and prevention strategies to ensure they avoid costly mistakes down the road. Our vision is that one day, health and wellness transition into a proactive space where there is more planning and preparation for the challenges that people face…BEFORE you hit a dangerous tipping point.

Until then, we at PyxisCare are focused on turning tipping points into TURNING POINTS.
And we have a proprietary process that creates that turning point for our clients. It’s our
thorough custom assessment that kicks off most engagements.

I’ve been passionate about ensuring the “whole person view” is used when we are working with individuals; our assessment uses a multi-factor approach. Your health and sustainable wellness is a combination of many factors, chiefly: medical, psychosocial, environmental, legal and financial. These key drivers define your capacity to progress in the right direction and stay the course with treatment, prevention and intervention.

A client recently said: “When I look back on that time in my mother’s life, I see the IA (initial assessment) and care plan as the turning point to get her back on the road to self- sufficiency.”

I think often about this statement, and dozens of others like it, when I think about what we do and what makes PyxisCare special. That particular person used the resulting care plan as a road map back to health for her loved one.

Some clients even go back and do an assessment if we onboarded as a result of a crisis. They want that full spectrum view of their needs without the pressure of an urgent issue needing resolution. One client said the assessment put him “out of his comfort zone” but also mentioned it was the most valuable part of the service because it allowed him to prioritize some unresolved safety issues in his environment.

This feedback and other customer-centric data helps us to be better partners. To provide a consistently improved experience for clients. To proactively identify pain points and step in to help.

I’m heartened to know that we are offering something unique and valuable that truly allows people to reach their TURNING POINT.

PyxisCare Anywhere Client Story: Jennifer C

“PyxisCare didn’t just help my dad as he transitioned towards end-of-life-care, they cared deeply about my and my mom’s well-being. They supported our entire family holistically, finding solutions and helping us to understand our options and make the best decisions.”

Jennifer C.

My dad lived a great life but like most of our parents, had normal complications as he aged. That is, until he started exhibiting signs of dementia. My mom was able to take care of him at the beginning, but soon his symptoms worsened to the point that he started acting aggressively towards her. He wouldn’t let her help him, and for her safety, my mom moved into a hotel. At this point we were clearly in crisis.

I realized I needed immediate answers to help both of my parents, but as a business executive I couldn’t stop working to care for my dad, and I didn’t have time to research all the possible options that could help them. A friend referred me to PyxisCare for assistance. I needed to meet with them immediately and get started – and didn’t have time to stop for an in-person meeting. We met virtually and during their initial assessment, they asked about my dad’s diagnosis, his medical history, financial limitations, insurance options, and my mom’s ability to care for my dad. We enrolled in PyxisCare Anywhere on the spot because we needed maximum flexibility.

As a Veteran in his mid-80s, I knew my dad was eligible for VA benefits and Medicaid, but I did not know how or who to contact to get these benefits started. To complicate matters, my dad’s Veterans records were stored inside a VA facility in St. Louis that had been destroyed by a fire. The PyxisCare team had experience accessing hard to reach records and initiating the benefits he deserved. They oversaw the complicated process and paperwork required between the Medicaid office and the VA.

As a daughter, it was my responsibility to help my parents, but I was losing sleep and going in circles trying to figure it out on my own. PyxisCare understands that getting answers is more complicated than just making one phone call, and sometimes you must dig deep to find solutions. They partnered with me, advising and aiding me step-by-step what I needed to do next as we moved closer to getting my dad the help he needed. They explained everything along the way, such as how an ombudsman can help, where do we get information, what documents do I need to gather, and more. They listened to me, helping to ease the stress and emotions I felt as I watched my dad’s health fail. And all of the support was provided virtually by zoom and over the phone.

With the support of PyxisCare Anywhere, we untangled his benefits and used Medicaid and VA to pay for a quality facility to care for him. Mom moved back into house and started focusing on her own health. Dad went into hospice and soon passed at the facility – his dignity intact with the support from the PyxisCare team. It was not a heavy lift for PyxisCare, but for me it was everything for them to support me when and where I needed their help most. Their care and service gave me peace of mind as I moved through this important life transition of losing a parent.

PyxisCare didn’t just help my dad as he transitioned towards end-of-life-care, they cared deeply about my and my mom’s well-being. They supported our entire family holistically, finding solutions and helping us to understand our options and make the best decisions.

PyxisCare Anywhere

I founded PyxisCare more than 12 years ago to help people in a way that I hadn’t seen done before. Our team could make a difference – I was certain – and I believe we have. Over those years we’ve become much more sophisticated as a company, serving hundreds of individuals and partnering with many companies to offer peace of mind, better health and wellness.

We’ve also launched services that support every aspect of need from analyzing corporate benefits to helping elderly parents secure safe and affordable housing to planning for end of life. In many ways, PyxisCare Anywhere, our completely virtual service, is an homage to our roots. We have clients across several states and many of the conditions we manage require multi-state and multi-agency support. Achieving success for our clients requires a team that’s willing to work when YOU need us. Whether in person or virtual, it’s in our DNA from our original founding.

Technology has made our lives easier and over those 12 years, we have taken full advantage of everything and every service technology has enabled, while keeping our empathy and compassion at the very center of our mission.

And still, we keep innovating.

Part of what drives our team at PyxisCare is sharing our knowledge to help people better understand how they can live better. And in the past few years, how companies can take better care of their employees while spending less on medical expenses but investing more in health.

In the spirit of innovation and sharing our knowledge, this month we also launched a podcast. That’s right! It’s a chance for me to interview thought leaders in medicine, healthcare, mental health and insurance so YOU can be informed as a consumer, and employer and potentially a caregiver. I’m excited and humbled to interview Ben Isgur, Vice President, Health Care Thought Leadership at Fidelity Investments, who is a friend and respected colleague for our inaugural podcast. Listen here to learn more about what’s changing in benefits and employee-paid insurance, including the importance of mental health benefits.

At PyxisCare, we do our work quietly and respectfully, focusing every energy into planning for and supporting our clients and their health. We deeply appreciate the opportunity to share our passion for wellness with you – in this blog, on social, in our newsletter and now, in a podcast we call Boundaries Vs. Bridges.

Thanks for being on the journey with us at PyxisCare.

PyxisCare Choice Client Story: John and Sally W.

“Thanks to the PyxisCare Choice team we have a clear understanding of our end-of-life directives and a positive way to share our desires regarding future medical care with our children and other family members.”

–Sally and John W.

Advance Care Planning bridges the gap between a person’s wishes for their end-of-life care, their family members, medical providers and legal counsel, and nearly 2/3 of Americans do not have an advanced care directive. In addition to offering a wide range of valuable services, from medical crisis management to the ongoing maintenance of chronic illness, PyxisCare Management provides personalized, comprehensive advance care planning (ACP) called PyxisCare Choice. Our experienced nurses partner with estate planning attorneys and financial planners to ensure clients are empowered to achieve their wishes. Recently we chatted with Sally and John W. about their experience with the PyxisCare Choice program.

What led you to PyxisCare Choice? We wanted a personalized approach to ACP, more than what just an attorney could offer. We were looking for a relationship where we could have an ongoing conversation about estate planning and updates in legal and fiduciary choices as our health status changes. PyxisCare Choice brings in medical expertise that you won’t find at an attorney’s office. A colleague who works with PyxisCare recommended PyxisCare Choice.

How was meeting with a PyxisCare expert valuable? Thanks to the PyxisCare Choice team we have a clearer understanding of our end-of-life directives and a positive way to share our desires regarding future medical care with our children and other family members. Our meeting also pushed us to ensure we had all the documents we would need. The team was informative and navigated issues that we had not thought about. We now have peace of mind that our ACP has been taken care of and everyone is on the same page.

What do you expect the outcome to be? We now have confidence that as we move towards end-of-life care, our wishes and directives will be understood and carried out by our family and health care providers. Teaming up with PyxisCare is not just one meeting and done. We will continue to have ongoing conversations about our wishes and goals as our medical needs change. For example, if we become incapacitated for any reason, we know that the PyxisCare team will be there to support our family.

How does PyxisCare Choice help with family dynamics when planning for the future? Through the support and guidance of the PyxisCare Choice team, we can discuss our desires with our children and emotions during the conversation. Our family learned many details about the process that attorneys don’t usually cover in ACP. The bonus is that our children will be ready to plan their ACP through everything they’ve learned with the PyxisCare experts.

What did you discover about advance care planning by using PyxisCare Choice? The PyxisCare Choice team took time to educate us about everything related to ACP. We had a general knowledge before we started but the team provided comprehensive information about estate planning, the importance of advanced directive documentation, legal and fiduciary choices, and so much more. We are ready to move into our future with confidence and peace of mind.