Supporting Loved Ones: A Guide to Long Covid Care
Fostering Understanding and Support
This section is for families, friends, and colleagues of Long Haulers to recognize the complex, invisible struggles they face. Long Covid is not just a list of symptoms; it's a daily test of resilience. Empathy, patience, and support are needed to help navigate this challenging path.
From Long Covid Patients: What We Wish You Knew
Understanding the Unpredictability: Our good and bad days are unpredictable. Patience and flexibility when plans change are deeply appreciated.
Communication Challenges: We struggle to articulate our experiences due to the complexity of our symptoms. An open, patient dialogue is crucial.
The Need for Comprehensive Support: Beyond practical help, emotional support is vital. Just knowing someone is there to listen can make a significant difference.
A Call for Compassion and Connection
Understanding the hidden battles of Long Covid is about more than empathy; it's about strengthening connections and building a supportive network. By recognizing the challenges and embracing compassion, we can help those affected find new ways to enjoy life and thrive within their new normal.
Practical Ways to Support Someone with Long Covid
Educate Yourself: The most important thing you can do as an ally is to take a little time to learn about Long Covid and its impacts, which shows empathy and understanding for their situation.
Offer to Run Errands: Help with grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions, or other errands that can be taxing for someone with Long Covid.
Drive to Medical Appointments: Offer transportation to doctor’s visits, especially on days when they may be feeling too fatigued or unwell to drive themselves.
Send Encouraging Notes: Regular notes, emails, or messages of encouragement can be a great morale booster. It helps the person feel seen, heard, and not forgotten.
Meal Preparation: Cooking and bringing meals can be a great help, especially on days when they are too exhausted to cook. Be mindful of any dietary restrictions or preferences they may have as some foods can trigger flare ups for those with this condition.
Help with Household Tasks: Assistance with chores like cleaning, laundry, or yard work can be invaluable, especially during periods of increased symptoms.
Listening and Empathy: Sometimes, the best support is a listening ear. Offer your time to just listen, without judgment or unsolicited advice.
Assist with Childcare: If they have children, offering to babysit or help with school runs can provide much-needed relief and rest time.
Flexible Visits: Offer to visit for companionship, but always approach a plan with flexibility, understanding that they may need to cancel or cut visits short depending on how they feel.
Research and Information Sharing: Help gather and share Long Covid information, research, and resources as this can be overwhelming or inaccessible for them to do alone.
Be Patient with Communication: Understand that they might not always respond to calls or messages promptly due to fatigue or cognitive difficulties.
Creating a Comfortable Environment: When visiting, help create a comfortable environment, like dimming lights if they are sensitive to brightness or reducing background noise or other stimuli.
Assist with Pet Care: If they have pets, offering to help with pet care like feeding, walking, or vet visits can be a big relief.
Online Shopping and Errand Assistance: Help with online shopping or digital errands. This can be challenging if someone is experiencing symptoms like brain fog.
Advocacy Support: Offer to be an advocate for them in interactions with healthcare providers, or assist in researching treatment options. Oftentimes, having to advocate and defend ourselves in certain environments can lead to a high degree of distress, which may trigger some symptoms.
Respecting Boundaries: Be mindful of their energy levels and respect their need for rest and quiet time.
Plan Low-Energy Activities: Suggest and plan activities that are low-energy and within their comfort zone, such as watching a movie at home instead of going out.
Believe Them: Oftentimes, the hardest part of living with Long Covid is feeling like we need to justify our experiences to everyone around us - medical professionals, employers, colleagues, friends, and even family. When in doubt about how to assist a loved one in navigating these complex illness, ask them what they need from you, and believe in their answer.
By offering practical and considerate support, friends and family can significantly ease the daily challenges faced by someone living with Long Covid. Remember, the key is to always communicate and adjust assistance based on their current needs and preferences.
