mPower funded the production of 1000 booklets to advise people suffering from Long Covid in Donegal HSE CH01 on how to recover from the virus. As Dr Paul Armstrong, GP at the Covid Assessment Hub in Letterkenny and Clinical Lead for Donegal said, “Information on managing the after-effects of COVID 19 illness is difficult to get for both professionals and patients alike.”
With mPower’s support, the development of the Covid 19 Rehab booklet brought together a team of HSE professionals from across different disciplines for collaborative input including specialist Respiratory and Neurological Physiotherapists, Clinical Psychologists and Dieticians.
The booklet is an evidence-based resource and includes a hyperlink for individuals and carers on symptoms of Covid 19 and symptom management. Advice is given on coping strategies as well as information on where to seek additional support locally. It helped people who had had Covid to self-manage their recovery and provided a standardised information resource to service providers for sharing with relevant individuals looking for advice and support in relation to Covid 19 – with the added benefit of bringing together the different disciplines, meaning it provided advice across a range of areas.
The booklets were distributed to Physiotherapy Departments and GP surgeries across the HSE CH01 area. Tracey Gallacher, Senior Physiotherapist said,” It provides a standardised information resource to service providers for sharing with relevant individuals who are looking for advice and support. It gives practical tips and advice on how to manage severe fatigue, ongoing breathlessness, muscle weakness, difficulties with memory/confusion, the emotional impact of Covid-19 and more. The booklet has been shared widely across the CHO1 healthcare community and feedback has been hugely positive “.