“Simply said, because a caregiver gives care, while a care partner partners in care.”  

The emphasis is on partnership: the person living with the disease remains an active participant in their journey; the partner walks alongside, supports, collaborates. The focus becomes dignity, autonomy, shared decision-making, and maintaining as much independence as possible.

In neurodegenerative disease contexts, this means the care partner doesn’t just do everything to the person but does things with the person — adapting as disease progresses, shifting roles as needed. A meta-review points out the “self-reported needs of care partners supporting people living with neurodegenerative disorders” emphasise this relational stance.