RedArc, the third-party support service included within employee benefits, group and individual insurances, and membership plans, has announced the launch of a new dedicated nurse service to support those suffering from the effects of Long Covid.
Christine Husbands, managing director for RedArc, said: “Anyone who has had Covid-19 could be affected by Long Covid, from those who only had mild symptoms to the critically ill, those who were fit and healthy to those who were previously clinically vulnerable, young or old.”
In fact, data shows that as many as 20% of people infected with Coronavirus go on to experience symptoms for five weeks or longer, and one in ten, for 12 weeks or more*. And because Long Covid doesn’t discriminate, thousands of people are likely to suffer with long-term, and in some cases, potentially permanent symptoms.
RedArc’s Long Covid support service
With numerous symptoms, including breathlessness, chronic fatigue, muscle pain, cognitive blurring, organ damage and psychological issues – which can occur in clusters and fluctuate over time – RedArc’s new service provides a flexible, co-ordinated approach to ensure individuals can access treatment, therapies and help they need, when they need it.
At the core of the support service is a registered, dedicated nurse to ensure continuous and consistent support throughout the individual’s Long Covid experience. Via regular telephone calls, the nurse will provide whatever help and advice is needed such as:
- managing the fluctuating symptoms
- dealing with the psychological impact
- coping with long-term fatigue
- guidance on breathing exercises and physical activity
- nutrition and dietary advice
- family and relationship implications
- making a sustained return to work
- research into specific support on behalf of the individual or employee
- provision of targeted literature
In addition to one-to-one contact with the same nurse, the service will also ensure that the individual is maximising support from other relevant sources of advice and treatment. This could include, but is not limited to, the NHS or any other benefits provided by an employer including Private Medical Insurance and Employee Assistance Programmes.
The dedicated nurse is also able to provide a clinical assessment of the individual using specific illness-related questionnaires and discussion. This assessment helps the nurse to understand whether an additional course or multiple courses of action, such as therapy or counselling could improve outcomes. With specialist knowledge of providers this can be arranged quickly avoiding a long wait elsewhere.
Christine Husbands said, “It is eminently clear that a co-ordinated, holistic approach is required for those suffering from ill-health over the long term, because, whilst the physical aspects of a condition are often of primary concern, the emotional aspects are equally important in aiding recovery or in coming to terms with new circumstances.
“Whilst Long Covid is obviously a new condition, our nurses have many years’ experience in supporting people through long-term ill health. We feel strongly that in these extraordinary times, the fluctuating, multi-symptom nature of Long Covid is extremely complex for individuals to manage effectively themselves and so no-one should be left to cope with this debilitating condition alone.”
*Office for National Statistics: The prevalence of long COVID symptoms and COVID-19 complications, 16 December 2020