"It's the worst thing I've ever been put through in my life": the trauma experienced by essential family caregivers of loved ones in long-term care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.

The EFCs experienced a collective trauma that deeply impacted their relationships with their relatives as well as their perception of the LTC system. Experiences endured by EFCs highlighted policy and practice changes, including the need for trauma-centred approaches to repair relational damage and post-pandemic decision-making that collaborates with EFCs.