When the time comes to discuss bringing a live-in carer into your, or your parents’, home, naturally it’s about finding the right carer who has sensitivity and builds connection, but how do you pass on the essential organisational and admin information to ensure the household can continue to run smoothly? Can you balance privacy with this support? Good organisation can be a godsend for making this transition as seamless as possible for all concerned.
Fully managed care agencies such as Hamilton George Care will work closely with families to compile the relevant information and identify what their carers can support with before any care starts. However, if you are looking to hire a private carer or have multiple people providing support it is vital that the relevant information is easily accessible and clear. Similarly, it is always worthwhile taking stock of your personal and household organisation as early as possible.
At NOTA:BENE we have created a physical system that brings everything together and can be shared with relevant family members, advisors or carers. Here are some of our top tips on what to consider and how to get started organising your home and life.
Managing Household Logistics
Having seen the experiences of many, it is clear that the arrival of a live-in carer highlights just how many moving parts exist in a household. From instructions for the heating system to introducing the people who keep the house maintained, the ordinary day-to-day quotidian that were once second nature may now need to be shared or delegated.
For example:
- Emergency Information - ensuring that emergency contacts, medical histories, prescription lists and preferences for care are documented and easily accessible. This will help carers respond appropriately in pressured situations. A recent example is a daughter’s dash to A&E, armed with her father’s prescription list and living will grabbed from the fridge door. Having everything to hand helped the medical team respond quickly and appropriately, making the experience smoother and far less fraught for both of them.
- Calendar Sharing - Missed appointments are one of life’s unnecessary frustrations. A shared digital calendar allows family members, carers and other providers to stay updated on medical appointments, social engagements, and routine household tasks without constant verbal coordination.
- Digital Account Management – a simple password book solely for the use of an approved and vetted carer might be a good solution to maintain a secure and accessible record of necessary digital accounts and their passwords, such as online banking, utility portals, healthcare platforms or delivery websites. For the complete list of login credentials, we will always recommend using a digital password manager (Dashlane or 1Password) to safely share this information with trusted individuals if their tech capabilities allow.
- Maintenance and Upkeep - from knowing the boiler’s service company to understanding the quirks of household appliances, a comprehensive list of contacts for a plumber, electrician, gardener, cleaner, local garage, etc. will give the carer a sense of autonomy in an emergency.
- Bills and Finances - If you have the right carer or agency and the best control systems in place you may be willing to allow your carer to assist with certain financial administration i.e. minor payments and schedules for utilities, memberships and subscriptions. If agreed, a carer may be willing to assist with tasks like writing cheques or arranging online payments. Consider listing the regular payments to be made along with any cash requirements for local deliveries. Families who have a plan for handling these can prevent unnecessary delays or mix ups.
A thoughtful system of your own or a comprehensive one like the NOTA:BENE System can be an invaluable tool during this transition, allowing all key information to be recorded, centralised and easily accessible when needed.
Privacy and Confidentiality
A key concern facing families when introducing a live-in carer is the issue of privacy. Clients may worry about having a stranger learn details about their lives, while adult children may feel protective of sensitive information. These concerns are valid but manageable with the right systems and contracts in place, or the right care agency. A well-organised setup can help establish boundaries and maintain confidentiality:
- Set Expectations: Discuss confidentiality upfront with the carer and ensure they understand the family’s boundaries. Many professional carers will willingly sign a confidentiality agreement and are trained to handle sensitive information discreetly, but having a frank conversation about expectations is key to building trust.
- Limit Access: Not all personal or financial information must be shared with the carer. Adapt your system to create clear distinctions between what information is for the family’s use only and what the carer needs access to.
- Secure Sensitive Documentation: Keep original legal and financial documents stored safely. Provide the carer with the information and documents they need in an easy-to-access format.
A healthy interest or micromanaging?
When it comes to organisational handover, another common challenge is ensuring that family members, advisors or carers remain informed without micromanaging. Establishing a good system can bridge this gap, keeping everyone in the loop while freeing the carer to do their job effectively.
For instance:
- Shared Checklists: Either printed or electronic sheets and checklists can outline daily, weekly, and monthly tasks, from meal preparation to medication schedules.
- Shared Communication: Using a shared calendar or app to track appointments, schedules and progress updates can reduce confusion and improve collaboration among everyone involved. Consider using WhatsApp or Signal for group family chats.
- Delegation of Tasks: Removing some of the tasks altogether such as financial oversight to one sibling and medical coordination to another for example.
Reap the Benefits of Good Organisation
At the heart of this transition is the need for clarity and simplicity. A good written system can bring peace of mind to everyone involved by ensuring that the household runs smoothly, privacy is respected and responsibilities are clearly defined. With the right preparation, you can turn what might feel like an overwhelming change into an opportunity to bring comfort and stability to these later years. Recording everything about the home and belongings of a loved one has often proved to be a godsend, not just for day-to-day management, but also for easing the complexities of probate when the time comes.
Good organisation isn’t just practical—it’s a gift for the future.
If you’re looking for a system that brings everything together and can be selectively shared with carers then NOTA:BENE System could be the one for you. A physical filing system that everyone can use.
Know WHAT exists, WHERE to find it and HOW to access it with the NOTA:BENE System. www.notabenesystem.co.uk
Images courtesy of Deborah from Note:Bene. Photograph of her and her sister ‘nursing’ their teddies, and her grandmother on holiday in Malta in the 1970s.
