Plan your caregiving with our care plan template
As a caregiver, there will be times when you feel overwhelmed. Days when your tasks seem never ending and you ask yourself the question ‘how will I get through all this?’ On days like that, you can take comfort from the fact you’re not alone. Millions of caregivers face these challenges daily – and the good news is that many experienced caregivers have found a practical way to improve their situation: planning.
Good planning will help you take better care of your loved one and avoid becoming overburdened. Together with a nurse or other healthcare professional, you can simplify care planning easier by
using TENAs free Care plan template (PDF)
.
How to make a good plan
Even though a carer is responsible for its execution, a care plan is the result of cooperation between healthcare professionals, relatives, other caregivers and, if this is possible, the person who will receive care. Our care plan template was created to make this task easier. If you have questions on any aspect of caring and your responsibilities, we recommend reading Sharing the caring. It’s also good to work with your support team when preparing your caregiving plan. Then you can decide on who will do what and when.
If you’re new to caregiving we’ve compiled some handy advice and insights that can help ease any concerns you might have.
“One of the most important aspects of caregiving is planning. After a nurse has completed and recommended a care plan, the carer’s responsibilities and daily tasks are made much easier, allowing them to fully focus on providing quality care without unnecessary distractions”
Why use a care plan?
A care plan allows for the provision of person-centric care. It caters for specific individual needs whilst at the same time letting the carer monitor other issues such as checking skin condition, bowel movements and general well-being. When the nurse creates a care plan, they’ll require specific information about daily caregiving routines and tasks. To help with this, we’ve separated some of the most common daily tasks into three lists below.
Daily caregiving tasks:
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Eating/Feeding
- Administering medications
- Grooming
- Toileting
- Reminding your loved one to stay active, e.g. walking
- Helping with mobility, e.g. from bed to chair, if needed
Related daily tasks:
- Housekeeping
- Laundry
- Meal planning and preparation
- Shopping
- Reminding yourself about medication and appointments
Other tasks:
- Accompanying your loved one to appointments
- Errands, mail/correspondence, phone calls (e.g. to make appointments)
Use our care plan template and experience the difference
With better planning, you’ll probably discover that your caregiving work becomes easier and that you feel more confident and in control. Your loved one will also sense that you have things under control and this will help her or him feel more satisfied, safe and secure.
TENA is right by your side
We’re committed to helping you offer the best possible care. We can do this by offering tips and support and advice on incontinence and related issues as well as a wide range of discreet, absorbent and comfortable products.
