Caregiving Handoff Template

For the method in A Caregiving Handoff That Preserves Dignity and Context. Use AI to organize notes into this structure - never to characterize mood, behavior, or mental state.

Not for

Diagnosing, labeling, or inferring a psychological or behavioral pattern from your notes. Report observed facts only; clinical interpretation belongs to the person’s actual care team.

Section 1: Practical and time-sensitive

Section 2: Preferences, in their own words

Ask directly, wherever the person can participate, and record their exact words.

Section 3: Routine (observed facts only, not inferred patterns)

Section 4: Emergency and clinician-given instructions (copied exactly)

Read-back confirmation

The next caregiver has read Sections 1-4 and confirms understanding:

• Name: ____________________
• Date: ____________________
• Questions raised during read-back: ____________________

The three prompts to reuse

1. Sort practical from preference-based notes

Here are my rough notes about caregiving tasks and observations from
this week: [paste notes]. Sort these into two lists: "Practical and
time-sensitive" (medications, appointments, immediate tasks) and
"Preferences and routines" (how they like things done, what they've
said they want or don't want). Do not add any interpretation of mood,
behavior, or mental state - only sort what I actually wrote.

2. Draft preference questions to ask directly

Help me draft a short, plain-language list of questions to ask
[person] about their own preferences for a caregiving handoff - for
example: how they like to be woken or reminded about tasks, what kind
of help they find useful versus intrusive, and who they want present
for specific situations. Keep the questions open enough that they can
answer in their own words, not a leading yes/no.

3. Organize the routine section as observed facts

Here are my notes on [person]'s daily routine and what has helped
recently: [paste notes]. Organize this into a clean routine summary:
time of day, what typically happens, and what has been observed to
help. Do not infer a broader pattern, mood, or behavioral
characterization from these notes - only organize the specific,
observed details I gave you.

Before handing this off

• Preferences are recorded in the person’s own words, not a paraphrase
• No section characterizes mood, behavior, or mental state
• Every section has a source and a last-updated date
• The next caregiver has read back the key sections and confirmed understanding