What is the difference between a caregiver, organizer, care recipient, and supporter?

What is a Care Recipient?

The care recipient is the individual who receives physical, emotional and logistical support from an unpaid family caregiver, or is providing self-care. In a team, there is only one care recipient, although a care recipient may have multiple caregivers. We encourage you to create separate teams for each of the care recipients in your care.

Have an account? To invite the Care Recipient click here: https://www.ianacare.org/open_team/

What is a Caregiver?

A caregiver's primary focus is on the care recipient. They are:

A close relative or a loved one. For example:
- They are the spouse, parent, adult child or grandchild, son-or-daughter-in-law, uncle or aunt, nephew or niece of the care recipient
Responsible for the overall well-being of the care recipient. For example:
- Assisting in activities of daily living, emotional support, meal preparation, medication management, healthcare-related appointments & transportation
An advocate for the care recipient and are able to speak on their behalf with different types of professionals. For example:
- Healthcare Professionals: they act as a liaison between the care recipient and healthcare professionals. They actively participate in medical appointments by asking questions and ensuring that the care recipient’s concerns, symptoms, and preferences are effectively communicated to the healthcare team
- Legal & Financial Professionals: they ensure proper legal documentation, safeguard their financial interests, and have conversations on the care recipient’s behalf
If you have ianacare as an employee benefit or through your healthcare provider, only the "Caregiver" or "Care Recipient" role in the app can use the Caregiver Navigator feature of the app. If you need to change your role, click here to learn more.

A caregiver may have multiple care recipients under their care. In such a scenario, we encourage you to create separate teams for each care recipient. A single team may have multiple caregivers.

Have an account? To invite a Caregiver click here: https://www.ianacare.org/open_team/

What is an Organizer?

An organizer's primary focus is rallying support for the family caregivers in the team, with a secondary focus on the care recipient. They are:

Responsible for rallying supporters to help coordinate and manage everyday tasks that lighten the load for the caregiver. For example:
- Meal delivery
- Posting encouraging messages
- Scheduling visits and respite care
Organizers do not have access to the Caregiver Navigator feature of the app. If you have ianacare as an employee benefit or through your healthcare provider, only the "Caregiver" or "Care Recipient" role in the app can use the Caregiver Navigator feature of the app. If you need to change your role, click here to learn more or reach out to help@ianacare.com if you are having trouble changing your role.

A single team may have multiple organizers.

Have an account? To invite an Organizer click here: https://www.ianacare.org/open_team/

What is a Supporter?

A supporter helps the caregiver and the care recipient by offering to run errands, organize meals, check-in/visit and much more. They can post, react and respond to updates, and make offers proactively. Supporters can invite other supporters to the team, who join the team once approved by a caregiver, organizer, or the care recipient.

How do I change the role of a team member?

Only a caregiver, organizer or care recipient can change the role of a team member who has already joined the team. Learn more