Pyx Health Announces Caregiver Offering in Recognition of National Family Caregivers Month

News provided by

Nov 07, 2023, 09:00 ET

Wisconsin-Based Lakeland Care is the first Managed Care Company to Adopt this Program

TUCSON, Ariz., Nov. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- To commemorate National Family Caregivers Month, Pyx Health, a healthcare technology company that reduces loneliness and its negative health impacts, today announces a curated version of its platform uniquely tailored to the needs of caregivers.

In the U.S., more than 40 million people provide care for children and adults by performing unpaid daily life and medical tasks. Caregiving, while oftentimes rewarding, can also be isolating and stressful, leading to profound loneliness. Statistics reveal that between 40 and 70 percent of caregivers experience clinical symptoms of depression, which can often be traced to feelings of isolation and loneliness associated with the caregiving experience. Loneliness may also negatively impact the quality of care being provided and the health outcomes of those who are being cared for.

"The lack of social interaction and stimulation that caregivers deal with as they take care of others can be a huge trigger for loneliness and may result in serious physical and mental impacts downstream," says Cindy Jordan, Founder and CEO, Pyx Health. "We know that better supported caregivers will take better care of health plan members, and health plans are finding it behooves them to address the acute needs of this population."

Lakeland Care, a Wisconsin-based managed care organization, is the first health plan to offer Pyx Health's caregiver platform. However, Lakeland is taking the bold step of offering the program to not just friends and family of plan members, but any caregiver in the community, including paid caregivers and caregivers that may be coming in from out of state. Lakeland Care also offers the Pyx Health caregiver platform to all of its employees.

"This is our unique way of combating the current caregiver shortage, which became particularly dire after COVID-19, places stress on families and is only set to compound over the next several years as the U.S. population continues to age," says Jen Harrison, Lakeland Care Chief Program Officer. "If we can address and alleviate the major burdens and stresses of caregiving, like loneliness, we'll be doing our part to stave off the shortage. In addition, we want our own employees to be better supported caregivers in the community. Overall, when you give caregivers a stronger foundation the entire community benefits."

Pyx Health has developed custom resources and activities for caregivers that are offered in the Pyx app. Caregiver resources include education materials ranging from how to best care for someone with complex needs; to caregiver self-care; to respite programs, caregiver support groups, the Family Caregiver Reimbursement Program, and links to family members' health plan resources as well as community-based support groups and services. Additionally, caregivers will be able to connect with live human companionship via Pyx Health's call center-based ANDYs (Authentic, Nurturing, Dependable, Your Friend) program. Trained ANDY companions serve as empathetic listeners and can also provide referrals to resources when needed. All of this is designed to help caregivers feel better, which in turn will enable them to support those that they are caring for at the highest caliber.

For information on Lakeland Care's Wisconsin Pyx Health caregiver program and how to participate, visit the Members and Families tab at https://www.lakelandcareinc.com/family-care/.

More information on Pyx Health's caregiver solution is available at www.pyxhealth.com/caregiver-program.

About Pyx Health

Pyx Health is the first proven solution to effectively manage the loneliness epidemic plaguing our society today. By combining compassionate human intervention with scalable and proven technology, Pyx Health provides an effective, cost-saving, therapeutic approach to managing this pervasive problem. Pyx Health's unique approach improves mental health outcomes, mitigates loneliness-related physical health conditions, and ultimately reduces health care costs. For more information, visit us at https://www.pyxhealth.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

SOURCE Pyx Health