5 minute read
Sponsor Spotlight: Healing Hands Personal Services
BY SUSAN GRAHAM; PHOTOS BY SUSAN GRAHAM
Central Indiana residents Natasha and Shane didn’t have a traditional first date. During dinner, Natasha was notified that her daughter Rayva’s G-tube had dislodged, and found herself on Facetime, coaching the home health care nurse through the reinsertion process. Despite that unusual start, Natasha and Shane decided they were perfect for each other. In addition to Rayva (14), their family now includes Sammy (7), Xavier (6), and Tobias (4 months). Their son Elias sadly passed away in 2019.
Natasha, a special needs education teacher, had been fostering medically complex children for several years. After marrying Shane, she worked days in the classroom and Shane worked evenings. Their children’s diagnoses include cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, chronic lung disease, prematurity, epilepsy, and more. Meeting all of their children’s needs while holding down two full-time jobs and trying to find nurse staffing was hard, to say the least. Natasha often took family medical leave to cover emergencies and illnesses.
When Natasha started exploring parent attendant care, she realized her family would probably qualify thanks to Rayva and Sammy’s disabilities. They applied through their CICOA manager and were quickly approved.
The two children were clients of another company when Natasha heard about Healing Hands Personal Services. Our company supplies help and provides income and support while they care for their children. They care for the caregiver. Through their dedicated Medically Complex Warrior team, they provide in-home onboarding, negotiate the highest possible pay for the parent(s), and offer health, dental, and vision insurance in addition to paid time off. Additionally, they help with scheduling, coordinating with case managers, and troubleshooting.
Natasha was impressed when she first spoke with Lydia, the Medically Complex Warrior coordinator, and Tim Paul, the company owner. “Tim was super nice,” Natasha said. “He gave us his cell phone number and told us to call him if we had questions. Everyone was flexible with our schedule. I appreciated that there was actual training and orientation. It was treated like an official job.”
Healing Hands Personal Services and parent attendant care gave relief to Natasha and Shane’s family.
Natasha left her teaching job and has been able to focus on her children’s appointments, therapies, medical needs, and school appointments full-time. “For us, it was an answer to our prayers,” she said. “It saved us financially. I can stay home and shuttle everyone to their therapies, doctor visits, procedures, and school. We use three hospital systems and I feel like a taxi service. It is hard to just get in the car.”
Healing Hands is also always looking for ways to connect their Medically Complex Warrior families and the community. They recently had a family picnic with face painters, BBQ, Kona Ice, and a dunk tank. Natasha said, “Parenting special needs kids is lonely. It’s great to network with people who get it.”
Natasha and Shane also network with people who get it by taking their family on adventures. Kids still need time to be kids and the family has been to Disney World and Myrtle Beach. They go camping and take day trips to the park. Natasha advocates for parents to care for themselves and says “Take one day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at a time. We’re all in this together. Try to do something for yourself. Even if it’s a hot shower. Run to Target, or just get a Starbucks drink if you can.”
Healing Hands Personal Services and parent attendant care gave relief to Natasha and Shane’s family. She wishes that this option would have been in place when their son Elias was alive. “Having a child on a ventilator is a whole other situation and we could have used this help then.”
But they look forward to being able to focus on their children’s needs and each other as they navigate their complex lives together.
Serving the entire state of Indiana, Healing Hands Personal Services provides attendant care, parent attendant care, structured family caregiving, and home and community assistance. Funding sources include the Aged and Disabled Waiver, Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver, CHOICE, and private pay.
Healing Hands knows that parents caring for children with complex medical needs are not always able to leave their homes, which is why they provide in-home onboarding. Lydia, the Medically Complex Warrior coordinator, values her connection with families and continues to provide support long after orientation. She observed that “I love working for Healing Hands because I get to be part of these amazing families’ lives. I love being able to help with their daily needs.” She is available to parents through email, phone, and text to make things as simple as possible for caregivers. Lydia said, “I want everything to be more personal because these kiddos aren’t just cases, they are people!”
Tim Paul, founder and president of Healing Hands Personal Services, is passionate about providing excellent care for families with medically complex children. Many healthcare companies won’t take pediatric cases and Tim reflected that “It wasn’t right that families were being turned away. I wanted to create a place where families receive great service so they can focus on their children.” He achieved this by valuing his staff and having a hands-on approach. It isn’t uncommon for Tim to call families personally to answer questions and offer his cell phone number. He said, “At Healing Hands, our patient and employee happiness is paramount to everything else.”
If you are interested in getting started with Healing Hands Personal Services, please call 317-788-0777 for general inquiries and 317-956-5776 for the Medically Complex Warrior program.
