Family Caregiver Alliance Partners with Online Caregiver Community to Further Support Patients and Their Families

April 29, 2025

Online caregiver community makes it easier for patients and families to connect and learn from one another.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 29, 2025—Today Family Caregiver Alliance announced a renewed partnership with Smart Patients, an online peer-to-peer support forum for patients and their families. The collaboration will allow FCA to share caregiving expertise through presentations and facilitated caregiving-related discussions to help those impacted by various illnesses and conditions.

In addition, by offering virtual social and emotional support to outreach programs through Smart Patients, FCA will help caregivers and patients interact and learn from each other in a safe and supportive environment. FCA’s expertise is specifically focused on addressing the needs of family and friend caregivers of adults whose onset of disability is 18 years and older, those with neurodegenerative diseases and age-related chronic illness, and those who are 60 years or older.

“As an organization dedicated to supporting family and friend caregivers and those who receive their care, FCA sees great value in empowering people through education, community building and storytelling,” said Kathy Kelly, MPA, Executive Director at FCA. “Given that caregivers often feel isolated in their caregiving roles, our renewed partnership with Smart Patients will help many who want and need to extend their support networks.”

Patients and their caregivers are invited to join the caregiver community through the FCA Smart Patients sign up page. There is no charge for individuals to join. They can start by securely sharing their email addresses and setting up a free personal account. Once the account is confirmed, participants have access to information and resources and they can participate in conversations on a wide variety of topics, including health conditions, medications and treatments.

“Caregiving can be one of the most challenging and isolating roles a person can take on,” said Kathryn Burn, CEO of Smart Patients. “We’re honored to partner with Family Caregiver Alliance to help caregivers find the connection, validation, and knowledge they need. By creating a trusted space where caregivers can learn from each other and from experts, we aim to make sure no one feels alone in their caregiving journey.”

To learn more about the new caregiving community, visit Smart Patients.

About Family Caregiver Alliance

The mission of FCA is to improve the quality of life for family caregivers and the people who receive their care. For more than 40 years, FCA has provided services to family caregivers of adults with physical and cognitive impairments, such as Parkinson’s, stroke, Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. FCA’s services include assessment, care planning, direct care skills, wellness programs, respite services, and legal/financial consultation vouchers. Ongoing support is available with FCA CareNav®. FCA is a longtime advocate for caregivers in the areas of policy, health and social system development, research, and public awareness, on the state, national and international levels.

About Smart Patients

Smart Patients is an online community where patients and their families affected by a variety of illnesses learn from each other about treatments, challenges, and how it all fits into the context of their experience. While providing patients with safe and high-quality peer support, we help the healthcare system learn from patients to serve them better.