Some tips for setting up a notebook to keep track of your caregiving situation.

This can be a notebook, three-ring binder, or journal where you record information, monitor changes, and keep track of important contacts. Photocopy this information and distribute it to other key family members. This will save time and reduce risks in the event of an emergency. It will also provide someone else with a caregiving “blueprint” to follow if they fill in for you.

Other information that might go into this workbook:

• A list of informal support networks, such as a neighbor who runs errands or a youth who shovels snow and chops wood.
• An informal draft of your action plan, or record of a family discussion.
• Services or support your loved one says he or she needs or wants.
• A list of your needs as a caregiver. This will give you something easy and specific to refer to when someone asks, “What can I do to help?”
• Any obligations that compete for your time and resources.
• Your goals as a caregiver. What do you hope to accomplish?
• A list of situations that need attention or changing.
• A plan for maintaining your own physical, mental, and financial well-being.

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