How to Make a Family Care Plan for an Aging Parent
A step-by-step way to turn worry and good intentions into a written family care plan that everyone, including your parent, can see and follow.
After a new diagnosis
A new diagnosis often changes what a parent can manage alone. Before big decisions, get an honest picture of everyday needs, prepare well for appointments and find the important documents while things are calm.
Start here
- Rate everyday activities with the care needs checklist.
- Prepare questions for the next appointment.
- Check where the important documents are and what is 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, doctors 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, insurance, power of attorney, will, bank and medical details — before an emergency makes you search.
Caregiver daily log generator
Create a clean, printable record of a care visit: tasks done, observations and a note for the family.
Printables for this
Daily caregiver 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 phone table or fridge door.
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 (ADLs and IADLs)
A step-by-step way to work out how much help a parent needs with everyday activities, and how to use the answer to plan care.
Important Documents to Organize for an Aging Parent
The papers families most often need in a hurry, how to find and organize them calmly, and how to keep them safe and up to date.