Family systems · Support
The one-page caregiver handover
A handover should make the next few hours clearer, not turn into a biography. Put the practical plan first and keep private care information in the secure places it belongs.
Put today at the top.
Start with where the person is going, the approximate order of the day, the food or activity that is already planned, and the expected return. That gives the support person an immediate map.
Make communication easy to find.
List the communication method, the most useful ways to offer choices, how the person asks for a break, and any extra response time that helps. Keep the actual communication system available.
Reference safety plans; do not recreate them.
Point to the person’s current medical, emergency or behavioral support plans and where they are stored. A quick handover note is not the place to invent or replace those plans.
Use this small structure.
Today: [activity / time / return]
Communication: [method / response time]
Food + drink: [what is planned]
Break: [cue / place / what helps]
What comes next: [simple order]
If plans change: [how to explain / who to contact]
Safety plans: [where the current plan is kept]