How to Make a Family Care Plan for an Ageing Parent
A practical, step-by-step way to turn good intentions into a written family care plan that your parent and everyone helping can see and follow.
After a new diagnosis
A new diagnosis often changes what a parent can manage alone. Before making big decisions, get an honest picture of their everyday needs, prepare well for appointments and find the important documents while things are calm.
Start here
- Rate everyday activities using the care needs checklist.
- Prepare questions for the next appointment.
- Check where the important documents are and what’s missing.
Turn this into a plan
Add 9 ready-made tasks for this situation to a free care space, with sensible dates, reminders and room for the whole family.
Tools for this
Care needs assessment checklist
Rate how much help your relative needs with daily activities and get a clear summary to share with family, the GP or care agencies.
Dementia stages checklist
Tick the everyday abilities that now need help to see which stage of dementia this usually matches, and what to prepare for.
Care hours calculator
Estimate how many hours of help a day or week someone needs, based on everyday activities.
Important documents checklist
Find and record where your relative's key papers are — ID, NHS and insurance details, lasting power of attorney, will, bank and medical details — before an emergency makes you search.
Carer's daily log generator
Create a clean, printable record of a care visit: tasks done, observations and a note for the family.
Printables for this
Carer's daily log
One page per day for meals, drinks, activities, tasks done and notes for the next person.
Emergency contact sheet
Names, numbers and key details for the telephone table or fridge door.
GP appointment preparation sheet
Questions to ask, changes to mention and what to bring — plus space for what was said.
Medical history summary
Conditions, operations, allergies and specialists on one page.
All about me profile
A one-page profile so new carers and hospital staff know the person, not just the patient.
Read next
How to Assess a Parent's Care Needs at Home
A step-by-step way to work out how much help a parent needs with everyday activities, and how to use it alongside a council needs assessment.
Important Documents to Organise for an Older Parent
The papers families most often need in a hurry, how to find and organise them calmly, and how to keep them safe and up to date.