Baycrest

26 • BrainMatters • Fall/Winter 2021 By Fran Wolfe, MScN and NP and Stacey Saukko, RSW/MSW Once COVID-19 began to take its toll across the globe, patient support groups started to form, revealing that while many individuals who contracted the virus were not hospitalized, they continued experiencing symptoms with a decreased functional level for an extended period of time. An individual with these prolonged symptoms is considered to be a "long-hauler," which is the term used for an individual who contracted COVID-19 and continues to have symptoms many weeks later, long after other patients have recovered. Physicians and researchers are uncertain what causes this phenomenon. It wasn't until January 2021 that here in Toronto, long-haulers began to be documented. While participating in the joint program, in partnership with Baycrest's Interprofessional Care Team and Sunnybrook Hospital's Infectious Disease Physician Group, two Baycrest clinicians, nurse practitioner Fran Wolfe and social worker Stacey Saukko, began assessing client symptoms, as well as supporting their emotional, physical and financial issues, in partnership through the NT-OHT. These two clinicians felt compelled to begin a support group in order to understand what appeared to be an emerging Chronic Post-COVID Syndrome (CPCS), where COVID-19 has produced long-lasting or possibly permanent health changes, as well as to help people negotiate a future where they are able to live well with ongoing symptoms. They also aimed to provide clients with a safe, non-judgmental support forum to share their journey, receive resources from other clinicians in the healthcare community and gain knowledge in their path to wellness. Clients are now meeting weekly via Zoom and new members are encouraged to join. To learn more or to register for this support group, email covidsupportgroup@baycrest.org. COVID -19 LONG - HAULERS: A Nor th Toronto Ontario Health Team Suppor t Group Fran Wolfe, MScN and NP Stacey Saukko, RSW/MSW In 2020, the North Toronto Ontario Health Team (NT-OHT) received funding for two COVID-19 remote monitoring programs that were offered by Sunnybrook Hospital and Baycrest. Together, they worked to care for 6,000+ COVID-19 patients throughout the pandemic, sharing resources and developing a workflow to help with escalation/de-escalation of care. This collaboration aligned closely with the NT-OHT's vision, in which patients are shared amongst healthcare partners to receive coordinated and compassionate care.

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