What are the roles in an ianacare team? (e.g. caregivers, care recipients, organizers, supporters)

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 a 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.

 

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

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.

 

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 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

A single team may have multiple organizers.

 

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. 

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