Does anyone know what the term "primary caregiver" means? Is it a formal/legal term or loose term. What are their responsibilities?

I don't think primary caregiver and PoA are interchangeable.

I would interpret primary caregiver as the person who is locally present with the patient/LO providing or managing the bulk of their care, whether they are PoA or not.

With my Aunt in FL (and I'm in MN) my 1 cousin who lives next door to my Aunt *plus* my other cousing who is paid to come in 5 days a week are her caregivers. The next-door cousin is the primary caregiver as she knows the ins and outs of her medical prescriptions, medical history, takes her to appointments, etc. The paid cousin is mostly a companion and does light housekeeping. I am the DPoA, but I would not consider myself the primary caregiver. When my Aunt goes to her doctor, if I'm there with her the doc knows my cousin is the local primary person, but that I'm the decision-maker.

If you do a browser search for primary caregiver, it mainly returns info pertaining to parents and minor children.

It is interesting that you have been here for a long time and asked many questions, D, but I do not recall your telling us in the past that you are a PHYSICIAN.
Have you told us that in the past?
I also don't recall your telling us how far away you are in terms of miles
The primary caregiver DEFINITION is NOT A LEGAL DEFINITION and it is loosely defined dependent on situations, and may CHANGE radically.

And if I recall correctly the problem for your divided family is argument over just who is "in charge" of your loved one, medically, financially, and in terms of caregiving.


Generally the primary caregiver is HANDS ON. It usually means that person who is doing the most hands on care, work, record keeping, payments, and making the most crucial and critical care-giving decisions regarding finances, placement, care.

In your case that is the POA (general) which if I recall correctly is not you.

You are MPOA and may be asked to make some medical decisions, but said decisions, if they involve financial remuneration, will likely be handled by the general POA. And as I have said to you over and over, the general POA usually trumps the medical POA.

Now, you DO have an attorney as you have often told us.
Why do you continue to bring us the questions over and over again when that is what your attorney is for?
Why would you suppose that a bunch of caregivers from across the world could have any ideas of the complexities of your case?

I suspect the physician may well be uninformed and just mistakenly used the term "primary caregiver" instead of "medical power of attorney," which is what you've said you are. It may be a simple matter for you to just call the physician's office and clarify that you are MPOA so they can correct their records. Exactly where in your mother's records did you see this terminology documented? Was it just in the physician's note, or in an "official" section of the record? In my own personal medical record at my doctor's office I can see where there is a line to list the healthcare POA, as well as a section where it lists people I've authorized to view my records and receive communications.

In our state (Maine) it's called "power of attorney for healthcare." Our law states: "An adult or emancipated minor with capacity may execute a power of attorney for health care, which may authorize the agent to make any health care decision the principal could have made while having capacity." . . . "Unless otherwise specified in a power of attorney for health care, the authority of an agent becomes effective only upon a determination that the principal lacks capacity and ceases to be effective upon a determination that the principal has recovered capacity."

I've seen the term "primary caregiver" just in the context of minor children, where forms might have a place to fill in the names of the child's parents or "primary caregiver(s)." This would be filled out as the primary caregiver's name(s) if the child is in foster care or is officially under the care of a relative.

I have never heard of a form declaring someone a primary caregiver. Its the person who is there most of the time doing most of the work.

IMO you should not be MPOA because you live too far away. You are a contact for her proxy but I would not consider you a primary caregiver. I would say the person who holds POA. Got LO placed and sees her regularly. Responsible for making sure she has what she needs.

There appears to be in some state of affidavit making one a "primary care giver." Is anyone familiar with this form or have they filled out the form?