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POGO > Blog > COVID-19
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Tag: COVID-19


COVID-19 Update: What Hospitals are Doing

Posted on January 26, 2021 by admin

Childhood cancer centres and POGO Satellite Clinics across Ontario are working diligently to ensure the safety and best outcomes for children with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For children with cancer, survivors and their families, the best way to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection is to follow the recommendations outlined by the Ontario Ministry of Health, which can be found here. If you have questions about any specific precautions for your child or yourself, contact your oncologist or nurse.

Throughout Ontario, children with a new cancer diagnosis continue to be evaluated, undergo tests and start treatment with high priority and minimal disruption. POGO Satellite Clinics remain open and are an important component of keeping patients safe and the pediatric cancer system running. The childhood cancer treating centres are taking strong action to reduce the risk for cancer patients by limiting the requirement for well patients to attend the hospital by:

  • Connecting through telephone or videoconferencing and rescheduling hospital appointments
  • Deferring imaging and blood tests when possible
  • Utilizing community-based laboratories for blood tests when possible

This is particularly true for childhood cancer survivors who have been off treatment for several months or more.

If you attend a childhood cancer clinic, extra precautions may cause some inconvenience, for example:

  • Symptom screening is occurring at the hospital and clinic entrances
  • There may be limitations on the number of adults/family members allowed to accompany a child in the hospital
  • Playrooms may be closed

It is important to recognize that these measures are taken to protect survivors, your child and other children, family members, and staff in the hospital.

Your medical team understands that this a very stressful time for children, survivors, parents and families. Please talk to your team about your questions and concerns during this time.

David Hodgson, MD, FRCPC – POGO Medical Director

Paul Gibson, MD, FRCPC – POGO Associate Medical Director

Denise Mills, MN, RN(EC), NP Pediatrics – POGO Clinical Lead, Pediatric Oncology Nursing


Click here for more COVID-19 information.

Posted in Misc | Tagged Childhood cancer centres, childhood cancer survivors, COVID-19, POGO Satellite Clinics

COVID-19 Reveals Benefits of Home Visits for Families of Children with Cancer

Posted on September 4, 2020 by admin

A Reflection from POGO Interlink Nurses

The COVID-19 pandemic transformed our work in such a way that we see, clearer than ever before, how essential traditional home visits are in supporting families through their child’s cancer diagnosis. Currently, virtual visits are the norm and are taking place by phone or on video conferencing platforms like Zoom and the Ontario Telehealth Network. POGO Interlink Nurses are the healthcare team members who connect the family to important hospital and community supports—including school*—so it makes perfect sense that in-home visits are integral to our work. In fact, we rely on these visits to establish a connection with our patients, their siblings and other family members in a more meaningful way and in a safe place, which is especially important for siblings.

But just as important, the home visit is a critical part of determining how the family is doing. Home visits typically allow us to use observation and our assessment expertise to gain greater insight to a family’s circumstances which cannot be duplicated in virtual visits. Being in a family’s environment gives us a glimpse of how their lives are at the time and what added stressors they may have. The broad range of factors, including social, economic, cultural and psychological that influence family coping and their adjustment to a child’s cancer diagnosis can be observed in a home differently from meeting in any other environment.

Read more about the POGO Interlink Community Cancer Nurses Program and watch this video.

Family structure, poverty and access to resources can reveal themselves (literally) and avoid the need for us to ask questions that might be misconstrued as “intrusive.” Still, we believe that many parents will share more readily when we are sitting with them in their home. Also, it is during the home visit when we might see that, for example, three family members are sharing the same bed or there is mould growing in the bathroom. We come to better understand that a family might have difficulty getting their ill child to clinic because they do not have access to transportation or there’s an elderly or sick grandparent in the home who cannot be left alone. The home environment provides context for setting up teaching. It can tell us if the family is able to cope with the complexity of home drug administration, like chemotherapy; palliative care for a dying child; or providing supportive care to help prevent and manage any adverse effects of the child’s cancer and its treatment. 

Home visits, where we’re all face-to-face, also makes it easier and more efficient to complete and collect documents and application forms. This is especially critical when families have an urgent need to access financial support.

Since COVID-19, we have embraced and adjusted well to virtual visits to bring nursing and psychosocial care to our families, but there are challenges. Seeing a child and assessing their general physical well-being is not easy. We can teach virtually, but our use of teaching aids does not work well from a distance. For example, we can show our teaching dolls, but playing with them in a way that allows mom or dad to become familiar with central line devices is tricky. And though many young parents are embracing virtual care, it is more difficult for those for whom English is a second language or when families have less access to technology.

We anticipate and look forward to home visits because we know they have many benefits for children and youth with cancer and their families.


*This fall, the return to school for children with cancer will require extra support as families navigate the complexity of COVID-19. POGO Interlink Nurses will advocate for specific accommodations for patients unable to return to school, for families who are choosing to opt-out of in-person learning and for those reintegrating into the classroom setting.

This reflection by POGO Interlink Nurses was written in September 2020, in the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Posted in In the News | Tagged COVID-19, Family Support, home visits, POGO Interlink Nurses

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information

Posted on March 16, 2020 by admin

POGO continues to actively monitor the COVID-19 situation to keep our teams healthy and informed, and to ensure continuity of our work on behalf of children with cancer, their families, survivors and the childhood cancer care system. Healthcare teams working in our partner hospitals and within POGO Satellite Clinics, POGO AfterCare Clinics and in the POGO Interlink Program continue to follow the guidelines of their respective institutions, keeping POGO updated about any modifications to their practice. Families registered in the POGO Financial Assistance Program should continue to submit their claims as usual. While the precautionary measures being made at this time may not be convenient, we appreciate everyone’s continued patience, understanding and cooperation.


For the latest COVID-19 information:
– Toronto Public Health
– Ministry of Health – Ontario
– Public Health Agency of Canada


POGO Office Staff Working Remotely 
In line with the advice of public health authorities in response to COVID-19, and to ensure a safe and secure environment for POGO staff, clients and partners, all POGO staff continue to work remotely and POGO’s office at 480 University Avenue remains closed until further notice. During this time, POGO staff can be reached by email. Please refer to the POGO Staff List.

POGO School and Work Transitions Program Continues to Operate
POGO Counsellors are dedicated to supporting their clients through this challenging time and The POGO School and Work Transitions Program is continuing to operate with some modifications. POGO Counsellors are available by phone, Zoom or email as follows:

  • In most cases, POGO Counsellors will not be travelling to their offices so will not have immediate access to all of their resources. This may mean a delay in getting information to you.
  • Counsellors and clients can only meet in person in accordance with regional public health safety measures.
  • In keeping with hospital directives, POGO Counsellors may not be in attendance at POGO AfterCare Clinics. We ask that you please be patient when awaiting a response following a clinic visit and know that your POGO Counsellor will get back to you as soon as possible.
  • Our Survivor to Survivor (S2S) Network Workshops will all be delivered virtually starting in June 2021.

Education Events are Now Virtual
We are excited to be in the midst of planning our 2021 roster of professional development opportunities after postponing our in-person events last year. Multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals can look forward to our 2021 roster of events which will be available in either virtual or hybrid formats.

Donations
The need to raise funds in support of our programs and services is no less great during this challenging time. As always, it is possible to make a secure, online donation to Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario at this link. Thank you for your consideration.


Click here for more COVID-19 information.

Posted in Misc | Tagged Coronavirus, COVID-19, POGO Update

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