Caregiving Coordination Kit
Before you start
Share practical support with permission, make responsibilities visible, and prepare questions for care services.
For: Adults supporting a family member or friend, support coordinators and learners using a fictional case.
Goal: An agreed task schedule, backup plan, support-cost check and privacy-conscious question list.
Begin with the person’s preferences and consent where applicable.
List practical tasks without diagnoses or private care details.
Use role labels and fictional amounts on a shared worksheet.
This kit organizes nonmedical support; it does not train someone to provide clinical care, change medication, move a person physically or make legal/financial decisions without authority. Seek qualified training and advice for those tasks. Respect preferences, consent and applicable privacy rules. Keep actual medical records, financial identifiers and private contacts in secure authorized systems.
Keep your own editable copy. The website calculator and checklist are temporary; downloads do not save an account record. Use fictional information for practice; do not store passwords or sensitive records here.
Action guide
Ask what support is wanted
The person receiving support remains central to the plan.
- Ask which daily tasks the person wants help with and which they prefer to manage themselves.
- List practical tasks such as shopping, transport, household chores or appointment organization without prescribing treatment.
- Separate tasks a willing helper can do from tasks requiring professional training or formal authority.
- Record the person’s preferred way to review or change the plan, using role labels rather than a medical history.
Check: The plan reflects expressed preferences and identifies tasks that need qualified help or permission.
Agree responsibilities and backups
A task is not covered until a helper agrees to a specific arrangement.
- For each agreed task, name a role, time or frequency and an available backup.
- Confirm the helper’s willingness, travel time and limits; do not silently assign unpaid care.
- Write a brief handoff method for completion or a problem, sharing only the information needed.
- Identify a coordinator for practical communication if everyone agrees, while keeping each person’s authority clear.
Check: Three tasks have confirmed arrangements and the handoff does not expose unnecessary private information.
Check costs and service questions
Care support may involve money, travel and limited availability.
- List transport, meals and any service quote separately, marking unconfirmed amounts as estimates.
- Ask an official local support route about eligibility, availability, cost and the specific assistance it provides.
- Prepare questions for qualified care providers about training or instructions needed for care-related tasks; do not invent those instructions.
- Check who may discuss records or make decisions with the relevant institution instead of assuming family relationship creates authority.
Check: You know which costs are quoted and which permission or care questions still need an answer.
Review the support arrangement
A workable plan includes the supporters’ capacity as well as the tasks.
- Set a weekly review with the person receiving support and participating helpers when appropriate.
- Ask what is working, what is burdensome and whether any task should be reassigned or handled by a service.
- Protect time for helpers’ ordinary commitments and request additional support if the plan is not sustainable.
- Update backups and keep a clear route to appropriate qualified or emergency help for concerns beyond practical coordination.
Check: The next review includes preferences, coverage gaps and helper capacity rather than assuming the plan must continue unchanged.
Checklist
[ ] Ask the person which practical support they want.
[ ] Use role labels and avoid unnecessary medical detail.
[ ] Separate practical help from trained care tasks.
[ ] Confirm each helper’s agreement and limits.
[ ] Assign a time or frequency and available backup.
[ ] Use a minimal-information handoff.
[ ] List confirmed and estimated support costs.
[ ] Ask official services about actual assistance and eligibility.
[ ] Clarify authority with the relevant institution.
[ ] Schedule a review of preferences, coverage and helper capacity.
Worked budget
A practice support group agrees on a $150 monthly shared practical-support allowance. The person’s actual living and clinical-care costs are outside this limited example.
One-time costs: $0.00
Monthly costs: $90.00
monthly allowance left: $60.00
Listed support costs total $90, leaving $60 in the agreed allowance. If the household-service quote rises from $25 to $65, total support costs become $130 and the balance is $20. Discuss the change with the people contributing before spending. This limited model does not imply all care needs are covered or justify changing prescribed care.
CSV has no formulas. Sum costs separately by period. Subtract only matching-period costs from the allowance. Keep upfront funds and ongoing funds separate; do not count the same payment twice.
Worksheet
1. Which practical tasks does the person want support with?
My notes: ___________________________
2. Which tasks require training, qualified care or formal authority?
My notes: ___________________________
3. Who has agreed to each task and at what frequency?
My notes: ___________________________
4. What happens if the assigned helper cannot attend?
My notes: ___________________________
5. What minimal information is needed for a safe practical handoff?
My notes: ___________________________
6. Which support costs are quoted and who has agreed to contribute?
My notes: ___________________________
7. What service or permission question needs an official answer?
My notes: ___________________________
8. When will everyone review the plan and their capacity?
My notes: ___________________________
References
National Institute on Aging: getting started with caregiving: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/caregiving/getting-started-caregiving
National Institute on Aging: sharing caregiving responsibilities: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/caregiving/sharing-caregiving-responsibilities
CFPB: income, bills and cash-flow planning: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/educator-tools/your-money-your-goals/toolkit/