A one-page log for writing down what you see and hear, so you can tell a pattern from a bad day. Bring it to your parent’s next doctor’s visit.
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1 page, ready to print on standard letter paper.
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What’s on it
- The date, what you saw or heard, and the area of life it touches
- Whether it’s new, the same or worse, and who else saw it
- A list of areas to watch: bills and mail, food and kitchen, medications, falls and getting around, personal care, the house, the car, mood, and memory and thinking
- Room for what’s going well
- A short list to fill in before an appointment, including the changes that worry you most and the medicines your parent takes
How to use it
Keep it for a few weeks. Write each entry as soon as you can, and stick to what you saw or heard. Keep it private: it’s a record, not a scorecard.
A single incident can be a bad day. The same change showing up again and again is a pattern, and a pattern is what a doctor needs to see. Don’t log an emergency and wait. If confusion comes on suddenly or follows a head injury, or you see signs of a stroke, call 911.
Where it comes from
This tool comes from Chapter 1, “The Signs Your Parent Isn't Managing,” of When Mom or Dad Can No Longer Manage Alone by Mark Duda. The chapter covers the everyday signs that a parent isn’t managing, and how to tell a pattern from a bad day.
Related reading on this site
All 18 tools from the book are on the printable tools page.
The tools may be printed and copied for personal use within your own family. They are not medical, legal or financial advice.