A one-page handover note gives the caregiver the current daily operating plan. It should be specific enough to prevent guessing and short enough to use during a shift.
It is not the place for a full medical history, identity documents, bank information or every access code. Keep detailed clinical records and sensitive access information controlled separately, and give each caregiver only what the agreed role requires.
Put ownership and version details at the top
Every active note should show:
- person’s preferred name;
- effective date and last review date;
- person who owns routine updates;
- source and date of any professional instruction referenced;
- caregiver or shift to which the note applies; and
- next review date.
Remove superseded copies from active use. Do not leave several dated versions on a fridge, in a family chat and in a care-service app without knowing which one controls.
Copyable one-page structure
Use these headings:
1. Preferences and communication
- preferred name and pronouns;
- language or dialect;
- hearing, vision or communication aids;
- how to explain before touching or assisting;
- routines or choices that matter; and
- tasks the person does not consent to.
2. What the person does independently
State what the person can and wants to do without help. This prevents the caregiver from taking over unnecessarily and makes a change easier to notice.
3. Agreed daily-support tasks
List the actual duties for this booking, such as dressing setup, meal preparation, companionship, toileting assistance, transport or records. Include approximate times only where timing genuinely matters.
4. Movement and personal-care method
State the approved aid, setup and number of people required. Reference the treating physiotherapist, occupational therapist, nurse or rehabilitation instruction where one exists.
Do not write an improvised technique such as “lift under the arm.” If the method is unclear or no longer works, pause the task where safe and contact the responsible professional or coordinator.
5. Food, fluids and swallowing
Record only current instructions relevant to the caregiver:
- ordinary meal and drink preferences;
- allergies;
- professionally prescribed texture or fluid plan;
- level of eating assistance; and
- what change must be reported.
Do not create a fluid target, thickening method, diabetes diet or supplement plan from family memory. Name the source of the instruction.
6. Medication-support boundary
For each scheduled time, state whether the person is independent, needs a reminder, directs physical assistance or receives authorised administration under the current plan.
The handover should point to the controlled medication record and include the response after refusal, omission, vomiting, an unavailable dose or uncertainty. A caregiver must not choose, change, crush, conceal, skip or repeat a dose independently.
7. Observable changes and escalation
List person-specific observations from the treating plan where available, followed by the action and contact. Use factual wording.
Examples:
- new difficulty standing compared with the current baseline;
- food or fluid intake below the monitoring instruction;
- medicine refused or record does not match supply;
- new skin redness or breakdown;
- fall, injury or acute change; and
- caregiver cannot complete the task safely.
The caregiver records what happened and follows the stated route rather than diagnosing the cause.
8. End-of-shift handover
Specify:
- where the record is kept;
- who receives the update;
- outstanding task or supply;
- incident or clinical contact made; and
- what the next caregiver must know.
Keep clinical instructions controlled but reachable
A one-page note may reference a current professional plan, such as:
- discharge instructions;
- transfer or mobility method;
- exercise plan;
- wound or device plan;
- swallowing guidance;
- medication record; or
- symptom and escalation plan.
Store the current instruction where authorised caregivers can reach it. The one-page note should state the document’s name, date and location rather than paraphrasing a complex clinical procedure.
A non-clinical caregiver follows the authorised plan within verified scope. The caregiver and nurse roles guide explains how to identify tasks that need an appropriately qualified professional.
Protect access information
Do not place gate codes, alarm details, spare-key locations or dates when the home is empty on a visible household note.
Provide only the access information needed for that booking through a controlled method. Record who received it and remove or change access when the arrangement ends or a device is lost.
A relief caregiver may need instructions for the building or gate but not unrestricted access to the person’s identity, banking, property records or unrelated rooms.
Put emergency action before routine calls
The note should distinguish:
- Emergency: call 999 first for an immediately life-threatening medical or safety event, then follow the family and care-service notification plan.
- Urgent clinical concern: contact the named treating service or after-hours route specified in the current plan.
- Operational problem: contact the family coordinator or care service, such as after a late arrival, missing supply or task overrun.
- Routine update: record it for handover or the scheduled review.
Do not force the caregiver to call several relatives before emergency services. Name one primary and one backup operational contact.
Use concise, observable language
Write:
- “uses the prescribed frame for every bathroom trip”;
- “asks for the bathroom door closed until hands-on help is requested”;
- “record whether lunch was completed and report repeated coughing under the swallowing plan”; and
- “call the coordinator if the transfer cannot be completed using the approved method.”
Avoid:
- “difficult in the morning”;
- “watch carefully”;
- “full care”;
- “give medicines” without scope; and
- “call family if anything happens.”
Specific instructions are easier to follow and audit.
Complete a practical handover
With the person’s consent, show the relief or new caregiver:
- the routes used during the shift;
- equipment and supplies;
- the approved setup for person-specific tasks;
- the active record;
- the call method;
- relevant controlled access; and
- the end-of-shift process.
Observe the first high-risk task where appropriate. A written page does not replace demonstration and professional instruction.
Review after every material change
Update the note after:
- hospital admission or discharge;
- medicine change;
- fall or mobility change;
- new swallowing, skin or continence instruction;
- caregiver or care-service change;
- new equipment;
- altered consent or privacy preference; or
- a failed escalation or handover.
The first-week review and two-week review can be used to check whether the written plan matches practice.
A good handover note does not try to contain the whole person. It gives the current caregiver the minimum accurate instructions needed for the agreed shift, identifies the controlled professional records and makes the next action clear when anything changes.