This November, we recognize National Family Caregivers Month to honor the family members, friends, and loved ones who provide care and support every day. For people living with Long COVID, caregivers play an important role in their daily lives. They may help manage daily needs, coordinate medical care, and navigate the uncertainties of Long COVID.

Caregiving takes many forms, from managing medical needs and daily routines to providing emotional support and helping a loved one grow and develop, or maintaining their health and well-being. It may include cooking, bathing, cleaning, and managing transportation to and from school. By helping with daily needs, caregivers give the people they care for more time to rest. Caregivers also often advocate for their loved ones by communicating with schools, workplaces, and healthcare providers on their behalf.

For many caregivers, supporting someone with Long COVID can become a central part of everyday life that can change as their loved one’s needs change. Caregivers may have to adjust routines, sometimes make sacrifices to their own priorities, and find new ways to balance caregiving with work, family, and their health. These demands can affect caregivers physically and emotionally, particularly when needs might be hard to predict. And still, caregiving can also bring a sense of meaningful connection and purpose in the role of supporting a loved one.

“You have to take care of your own health or you will not be able to advocate for them,” says Ann, a RECOVER Patient and Caregiver Representative and caregiver to two daughters with Long COVID who are RECOVER participants.

Ann knows firsthand how important it is for caregivers to look after themselves, too. Her experiences with Long COVID and taking care of loved ones with Long COVID have influenced her collection of poems, titled Keeping Room.

A caregiver’s role in Long COVID research can begin before a participant ever arrives at a study visit. In the RECOVER pediatric study, caregivers often make participation possible for children and teenagers by completing surveys and sharing information about their child’s health. For younger children who may not be able to fully describe their symptoms or how Long COVID affects them, caregivers also play a key role in helping researchers understand their experiences. By sharing what they observe, including changes in behavior or signs that may be hard for a child to describe, caregivers make it possible for children to have a voice in research. Their time, insight, and partnership with researchers advance our understanding of Long COVID in children and teens.

This National Family Caregivers Month, RECOVER thanks caregivers for the compassion, dedication, and strength they bring to their families and communities. Caregivers can explore Long COVID support resources and advocacy groups that may be helpful in caring for a loved one with Long COVID. The work of caregivers not only helps loved ones living with Long COVID—it also moves this research forward.