Care Partner

A term encompassing both the person providing care (caregiver) and the person receiving care (care receiver), emphasizing the collaborative and reciprocal nature of care relationships rather than a one-directional helper-recipient dynamic. The care partner framework recognizes that older adults and people with disabilities are active participants in their care, not passive recipients, and that both parties have needs, perspectives, and contributions. Technology designed for care partners should support bidirectional communication and shared decision-making rather than positioning the care receiver as merely monitored or managed.