Creating a Care Plan
Developing and maintaining a care plan will help you balance both your life and that of the person to whom you are providing care!
Are you a caregiver for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or another chronic health condition? Caregivers are often family members or friends of a person who is in need of care. Caregivers may manage everything from medications and getting dressed in the morning to doctor appointments, social events, and meals.
What is a care plan?
A care plan is a form that summarizes a person’s health conditions and current treatments for their care. The plan should include information about:
- Health conditions
- Medications
- Healthcare providers
- Emergency contacts
- Caregiver resources
You can ask the doctor of the person you care for to help you complete the care plan. At that time, you can also discuss advanced care plan options such as what follow-up care is necessary, end of life care options, and resources that are available to help make things easier for you as a caregiver. Try to update the care plan every year or if the one you care for has a change in health or medications to keep the care plan current, and remember to respect the care recipient’s privacy after reviewing their personal information.
Care planning can help ease and support the caregiving process. Download the form to get started today.
How do you develop a care plan?
What are the benefits of a care plan?
- Care plans can reduce emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and improve overall medical management for people with a chronic health condition, like Alzheimer’s disease resulting in better quality of life for all care recipients.
- Care plans can provide supportive resources for you, the caregiver, to continue leading a healthy life of your own.