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

This article covers the following topics:

What is a Care Recipient?

What is a Caregiver?

What is an Organizer?

What is a Supporter?

What features are accessible to each role? 

How do I change the role of a team member?

 

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 on the family caregivers in the team, with a secondary focus on the care recipient. They are:

• A close relative (immediate or extended family), a friend, neighbor, or co-worker of the family caregiver or care recipient. For example:
  • They are the spouse, adult child or grandchild, parent, son-or-daughter-in-law, uncle or aunt, nephew or niece, friend, neighbor or co-worker of the caregiver or the care recipient
• Responsible for helping to coordinate and manage logistical aspects of the caregiver’s life. For example:
  • Schedule Management: they maintain the calendar on behalf of the caregiver for appointments and activities to ensure efficiency and prevent conflicts
  • Event Planning: they organize special events or gatherings, such as family celebrations or social outings
  • Resource Coordination: they research and coordinate services like home repairs, meal delivery, or transportation arrangements
• 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 [e-mail] 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. 

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

What features are accessible to each role?

	Feature	Care Recipient	Caregiver	Organizer	Supporter
Available To Everyone	Ask for Help	✅	✅	✅	-
	Offer Help	✅	✅	✅	✅
	Send a Wish	✅	✅	✅	✅
	Send a Gift Card	✅	✅	✅	✅
	Post an update	✅	✅	✅	✅
	React to an update	✅	✅	✅	✅
	Comment on an update	✅	✅	✅	✅
	Direct message a team member	✅	✅	✅	✅
	Invite a supporter	✅	✅	✅	✅
	Invite a caregiver, care recipient, or organizer	✅	✅	✅	-
Requires Employer Participation	Find employee benefits in ianacare	✅	✅	✅	-
	Find local resources	✅	✅	✅	-
	Access Caregiver Navigators without limits	✅	✅	-	-

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