How to Create an Effective In-Home Care Plan

The amount of information you need to keep track of as a caregiver can be intimidating. An Effective In-Home Care Plan can give you the confidence that you’re meeting your loved one’s needs by helping you organize and prioritize caregiving tasks.

What is Effective In-Home Care Plan?

A care plan is a form that outlines someone’s health conditions, current treatments, and specific care requirements. The plan should summarize what needs to be done to meet the person’s care needs. No two care plans are the same because no two persons’ needs are the same. Think of a care plan as a manual for how to take care of a specific person. It’s a handy resource to evaluate your loved one’s progress and find information when necessary.

What To Include In A Care Plan

A care plan can be the equivalent of a business plan. A business plan organizes the company’s needs to plan for long-term success. It contains financial information, goals, and individual department roles essential to run the business. Similarly, a care plan includes information vital to the long-term success of the care recipient. It entails information, resources, schedules, illness prognosis, and treatment plans. Both plans are created with the purpose of organizing to plan for success.

Your care plan can be split up into sections. Here are some general sections to include in a care plan:

• Assessment: The purpose of a geriatric assessment is to assess the current and future medical, emotional, and social needs of an aging adult. This includes a senior’s medical information, long-term goals for care, and evaluation of their capabilities to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living.
• Listing the team of caregivers: If a caregiver were to coordinate and perform all tasks on their own, they could face burnout. The intention behind creating a care team is to prevent potential problems that stem from care responsibilities being placed on one person. The team may include multiple family members, friends, and healthcare professionals.
• Delegation of Responsibilities: Each person’s role in your loved one’s care should be listed in the care plan to prevent miscommunication over tasks.
• Schedule: A regularly updated schedule of upcoming appointments and times for medications. Assess the schedule whenever it changes to avoid confusion.
• Resources: Include a list of resources essential to your loved one’s care and their contact information. For example, if you need their physician’s number, you can have an easy reference in the care plan.
• Contingency and Emergency Planning: Contingency planning keeps you prepared in cases of emergency. Make a list that entails any issues that could occur at home such as taking the wrong medication, falling and not being able to get up, or sudden deterioration in an existing condition. Create a step-by-step response plan for each situation they could face and document it in the care plan. Make sure everyone involved (caregivers, family members) are aware of the response plans in cases of emergency.
• Elder law and Financial Planning: Your plan should include relevant information about any living will, guardians, or advanced statements. Medical staff should be informed of any legal requirements in care.

Tips For Creating An Effective In-Home Care Plan

Use language in the care plan that everyone understands. Explain medical terminology because there may be people using the plan who don’t understand it.
Families should make sure they regularly check in with assessments on their loved ones and update the plan. It is crucial to address the need for immediate modification in case of an emergency or drastic change in their health.
Try to update the care plan at least once a year, or however often the person has a change in health and medications.

Creating a care plan is a great first step to taking care of your loved one. Establishing a written plan helps you prioritize their needs and improve their overall quality of life. 1+1 Cares provides additional tips for making an elder care plan.

1+1 Cares is a referral agency that works for clients and caregivers. We match caregivers with clients and inform them of your requirements. We work for you so you and your loved one can have a safe, enjoyable caregiving experience.