Shared care records guide
What to track when multiple people share caregiving
Keep the smallest useful shared record: current care, responsibility, outcomes, changes and what needs attention next.
Tracking everything creates noise; tracking too little forces every caregiver to guess. Focus the shared record on information another authorized caregiver needs to act safely and understand what already happened.
Current care plan
Keep the active medicines, recurring tasks, appointments, routines and relevant care preferences together. Make the effective dates clear so an old instruction is not mistaken for the current plan.
Responsibility and backup
Record who owns each scheduled item and who can step in. Keep unassigned work visible instead of hiding it inside a general family to-do list.
Occurrence outcomes
For scheduled care, record what happened against that specific occurrence: completed, skipped, missed or rescheduled, with the person and time attached. Preserve past outcomes when future schedules change.
Changes and factual observations
Record material changes with who made them and when. Keep observations neutral and specific, and separate what someone observed from an interpretation or clinical conclusion.
Contacts, appointments and follow-up
Maintain current emergency and professional contacts, appointment logistics, preparation information, outcomes and assigned follow-up work. Keep permissions in mind before sharing personal information.
Handoff and emergency essentials
Give the next caregiver a short view of unresolved items, recent changes and upcoming priorities. Maintain a separate emergency takeover plan with the information a trusted person would need if the usual caregiver became unavailable.
Sources and further reading
- Caregiver WorksheetsNational Institute on Aging
- Making an emergency care planAustralian Government Carer Gateway