Carer Daily Log

Who this is for

One day, written down as it happens. Each line takes the time, what was done, what was noticed and who wrote it, so that a relative arriving in the evening or a carer starting in the morning can read the day rather than be told it.

Family members taking turns, live-in and visiting carers, personal assistants, and anyone caring for somebody whose day is shared between several people who rarely meet each other.

What this helps you track

• What was done and at what time, through the whole day
• What was noticed — mood, appetite, sleep, anything different — in plain words
• Who wrote each line, so a question has someone to go to
• Things to pass on to whoever comes next
• A run of days that can be read back when somebody asks how the week has been

How to use it

1. Write the person's name, the date and who is on duty at the top; one sheet per day.
2. Add a line each time something is done — a meal, a wash, a walk, a visitor — with the time.
3. Use the noticed column for what you saw rather than what you think it means: slept until ten, ate half, quieter than usual.
4. Put your name or initials on every line you write.
5. Use the notes area at the foot for anything the next person needs before they start.
6. Keep the sheets in date order in a folder in the house, or fill them in online and save them in your own browser.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

What is the difference between done and noticed?

Done is what you did: breakfast, shower, medication signed for on the MAR, a walk. Noticed is what you saw: how they seemed, what they ate, how they slept. Keeping the two apart makes the log easier to read and easier to trust.

Does the log tell me what to watch for?

No. It carries no list of things to look out for and no view on what any of them mean. Write what you observe; if something worries you, report it to whoever the care plan names and note on the line that you did.

How much detail is enough?

Enough that someone who was not there could follow the day. Times and short plain phrases do it; long descriptions rarely add anything and are rarely read.

Is this the same as the home care visit record?

The visit record is one line per visit, with times and a signature, for care that comes and goes. This log is the whole day, line by line, for care that is there all day or shared between people.