Who's Who in Your Care Team: Social Workers, Carers and Other Professionals Explained

Once care is underway, a growing cast of professionals can start appearing in someone's life — often with job titles that sound similar but mean quite different things. This is a plain guide to who's who: what each role actually is, what they can and can't do, and when you're likely to meet them.

Social Worker / Care Coordinator

What they do: Carry out the Care Needs Assessment and Carer's Assessment, and put together the Care and Support Plan if eligible needs are identified. They're the route into council-funded support, equipment and respite.

When you'll meet them: Usually after you contact your council's adult social care team, or if a hospital discharge team refers your family member for an assessment.

We've written a full guide to this process, including the financial thresholds and what they can't do for you: What to Expect from Social Services When a Parent Needs Care →

Home Carer / Care Assistant

What they do: Provide hands-on, day-to-day support — washing, dressing, meals, medication prompts, companionship. They may work for a council-commissioned agency, a privately paid agency, or be employed directly by the family (a Personal Assistant).

When you'll meet them: Once a Care and Support Plan is in place, or if the family arranges private care directly.

It's worth knowing they aren't medically trained beyond basic care certificate training, so anything requiring clinical judgement (medication changes, wound care) goes to a nurse, not a carer.

District Nurse

What they do: NHS nurses who visit people at home for medical care — wound care, catheter care, complex medication management, palliative care support.

When you'll meet them: Referred by a GP or hospital when someone needs ongoing medical care at home that goes beyond what a carer or family member can safely provide.

Occupational Therapist (OT)

What they do: Assess the home for safety and independence, and can arrange equipment (rails, raised toilet seats, hospital beds) or larger adaptations (ramps, stairlifts, level-access showers), sometimes via a Disabled Facilities Grant.

When you'll meet them: Usually via a referral from social services, a GP, or after a hospital stay, particularly following a fall.

Admiral Nurse (dementia specialist)

What they do: Specialist nurses, provided by the charity Dementia UK, who work specifically with families affected by dementia — on difficult behaviours, complex decisions, and emotional support through a diagnosis and beyond. Not every area has a local Admiral Nurse service, but the free national helpline is available to anyone.

How to reach them: Dementia UK's Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline, 0800 888 6678 (Mon–Fri 9am–9pm, Sat–Sun 9am–5pm).

Dietitian

What they do: Weight loss and reduced appetite are common as dementia progresses. A dietitian can be brought in by referral (usually from the GP) to help with food fortification, nutritional drinks, and practical strategies to improve intake. This isn't automatic at diagnosis — it tends to come up later, once eating has genuinely become a concern.

GP and Pharmacist

What they do: The GP remains responsible for overall health and medication throughout, including referrals to specialists. Pharmacists are an underused resource — many will do a free medication review, and can often answer a quick question faster than waiting for a GP appointment.

Nobody expects you to know all of this in advance, and you won't meet every one of these people. Most families build up their own small team gradually, one referral at a time. If a title comes up you don't recognise, it's always fine to simply ask: "What's your role, and how can you help?"