# If Patient is to Doctor, Carer is to...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-patient-is-to-doctor-carer-is-to/721739>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 5, 2015, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-patient-is-to-doctor-carer-is-to/721739 "2015-06-05T20:45:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![jimdigritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jimdigritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimdigritz)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-patient-is-to-doctor-carer-is-to/721739/21 "2015-06-08T06:18:35Z")

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> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> What sense are you using caregiver in? People caring for family members?

Thanks for the helpful replies.

I’m specifically referring to informal adult carers of of other adults. For example infirm parents, spouses with dementia or even adult children with mental health issues.

Recipient could work as suggested, and I really like dependant however dependant has a clear legal implication which isn’t always helpful… I’ll go back through the replies and try them in context

Jim

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**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-patient-is-to-doctor-carer-is-to/721739/22 "2015-06-08T07:19:50Z")

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> [@Colibri](#):
>
> _Charge_ would probably work.

This gets my vote, if we’re voting…

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**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-patient-is-to-doctor-carer-is-to/721739/23 "2015-06-08T11:42:13Z")

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If inventing terms isn’t entirely off the table, how about dependee?

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**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2015, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-patient-is-to-doctor-carer-is-to/721739/24 "2015-06-08T12:32:24Z")

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We call them, depending on context:

recipient  
consumer  
member  
beneficiary

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