Elderly Care Plan
Creating a care plan for elderly patients involves several steps to ensure comprehensive care. Discover the ins and outs of what to include in your plans with this plan template and guide!
Fact Checked by RJ Gumban.
What is an Elderly Care Plan template?
A care plan for the elderly should be personalized to address specific needs, health conditions, abilities, and preferences. It is an essential tool healthcare workers and caregivers can use to ensure goals of care are being met. Care plans are unique and should be adapted for each patient to best meet their needs. They should facilitate a greater quality of life rather than hinder the autonomy or functioning of the patient.
Care plans can track, monitor, and outline the needs of an individual and flag aspects of care that may require external service providers. A care plan in collaboration with a physician may also help facilities and service providers decide the level of care and severity of an individual’s needs, dictating access to certain care homes and funding.
Elderly patients may need assistance with tasks such as household management, medication administration, and driving. Other patients may need more consistent and hands-on care for every aspect of normal life, such as assistance with changing, showering, eating, and basic personal care. Customizing a care plan cannot be emphasized enough; regular review is necessary to ensure the patient feels empowered and supported. A care plan designed for a care facility will differ vastly from a care plan designed for in one's own home. Yet, essential information such as medication needs, physical capabilities, and the encouragement of life-enriching tasks stays consistent across all care plans. By having a clear written plan made with the patient and their healthcare team, goals of care are easily accessible, and every decision and aspect of support offered can be checked against the plan to ensure that quality of life is being fostered and encouraged.
Printable Elderly Care Plan
Download this Elderly Care Plan to help healthcare professionals ensure goals of care are being met.
How does it work?
Step 1: Gather your resources
An elderly care plan template is a valuable resource and essential to keep on hand. Make sure that you have a copy of the free printable PDF when the need arises by either clicking the “Download Template” or “Use Template” button or by searching “elderly care plan template” on Carepatron’s template library’s search bar on the website or app.
Step 2: Collate essential information
Once the patient has been identified as needing a care plan, the individual and their family or support worker will work through the care plan template to create a viable and beneficial plan for the foreseeable future and set a day for review.
The patient and all relevant parties can access this crucial plan through Carepatron’s centralized system. All sections should be filled out with full consent from the patient as their care is being discussed.
In cases where the elderly patient is unable to communicate or consent to medical interventions and plans, a designated family member or care staff worker representing the patient's best interests should create a plan that aligns with the needs and wishes the individual held and communicated before losing the capacity to decide on their own.
Step 3: Store the chart securely
After reviewing the care plan and putting support in place to facilitate this plan, you need to secure the plan so that access is only granted to relevant parties.
Ensure this through Carepatrons HIPAA-compliant free patient records software. Here, all relevant medical records can be safely stored and collated for ease and security.
Elderly Care Plan example (sample)
Eager to utilize this essential care planning tool? Acquire a free, downloadable, and printable elderly care plan template PDF that comes pre-filled with fictional data.
Our crafted sample template is designed to aid you in efficiently utilizing the chart and evaluating the goals of care for elderly patients. It includes dedicated sections for clinical notes and dates for review and outlining the key components of an elderly care plan.
Secure your copy by either previewing the sample below or clicking the "Download Example PDF" button.
Download this Elderly Care Plan example:
When would you use this template?
A care plan for elderly patients is used in various scenarios and settings to ensure comprehensive and personalized care. Here are some situations where it's typically employed:
Home care
When an older person is receiving care at home, a care plan helps caregivers structure their assistance and what kinds of support to offer. It ensures that the elderly receive consistent and tailored care according to their needs.
Assisted living facilities
In assisted living or residential care facilities, care plans are created to address each resident's specific requirements. These plans ensure that staff members provide assistance with daily activities, medication management, meals, and other essential needs.
Rehabilitation centers or hospitals
Elderly patients admitted for rehabilitation or treatment often have personalized care plans. These plans are designed to aid in recovery, manage their health conditions, provide rehabilitation exercises, and ensure proper medication administration.
Hospice care
In hospice care, where the focus is on comfort and quality of life for terminally ill patients, care plans are crucial. They help manage symptoms, address pain, provide emotional support, and fulfill the patient's preferences for end-of-life care.
Memory care or dementia units
Elderly individuals with dementia or Alzheimer's disease require specialized care plans tailored to their cognitive and physical abilities. Care plans in these settings focus on memory care techniques, safety measures, and activities that promote cognitive stimulation.
Transitional care
When an older person transitions between different care settings, for instance, hospital to home or rehabilitation facility to home, a care plan helps ensure continuity of care. It assists in managing medications, monitoring recovery progress, and address specific needs during the transition period.
A care plan for elderly patients is utilized in various settings to provide structured, personalized, and consistent care, catering to their unique needs, health conditions, abilities, and preferences.
Who creates and carries out the Elderly Care Plan?
To have a successful care plan that truly supports the elderly patients' needs, a suite of healthcare professionals and the collaboration of family and support workers is essential. Creating a care plan is one thing, but ensuring that measures are in place to carry out the plan successfully is another. To strengthen the care plan, a community of help is recommended. Below are some of the people who may be involved in the design and review of a patient care plan:
Older individuals
Their input is valuable as they can express their preferences, routines, and specific needs. Understanding their desires and limitations helps tailor the care plan to their liking and comfort.
Family members or caregivers
They often play a crucial role in providing information about the older person's history, preferences, and daily routines. They contribute to decision-making and provide ongoing support, making their involvement crucial in crafting an effective care plan.
Healthcare professionals
- Primary Care Physician or Geriatrician: Will provide medical history, diagnosis, treatment plans, and guidance regarding the elderly individual's health conditions and necessary care.
- Nurses: Nurses perform assessments, monitor health status, and provide input regarding medication administration, wound care, and other healthcare needs.
- Physical and Occupational Therapists: They contribute insights into rehabilitation exercises, mobility issues, and adaptations required to enhance the individual's functionality.
- Social Workers or Psychologists: Offer support for emotional well-being, and social interactions and may address mental health concerns or social needs. A social worker may also facilitate Assistance in transitioning into care or receiving funding for care.
- Nutritionists/Dietitians: They guide dietary needs and restrictions based on the older person's health conditions.
Care coordinators or case managers
These professionals help organize and coordinate the various aspects of care, ensuring all elements come together smoothly and efficiently.
Facility Staff (if applicable): In assisted living facilities, nursing homes, or hospice care settings, staff members are crafting and implementing the daily care plan based on their interactions and observations of the elderly individual. Caregivers have the most contact with older people, making feedback and observations from these workers essential in plan adaptations.
Collaboration among these stakeholders is essential to create a holistic and effective daily care plan that addresses the older adult's medical, emotional, social, and functional needs. Regular communication and periodic reassessment allow for adjustments to the care plan as the individual's needs evolve.
Why use Carepatron as your Elderly Care Plan app?
Selecting Carepatron as your preferred application for creating an elderly care plan offers numerous advantages for healthcare practitioners.
Carepatron provides a centralized workspace, allowing you to manage clinical documents and electronic patient records, set patient appointment reminders, and handle medical billing seamlessly and efficiently within the platform, eliminating the need for additional software downloads. This integrated and comprehensive approach simplifies and streamlines processes and tasks related to daily care management and various other activities, giving you peace of mind and allowing you to focus most of your time, attention, and effort on patient care.
Carepatron is dedicated to offering a highly efficient and productive platform for thousands of healthcare professionals, allowing you to customize tools and workflows to meet your unique needs. Additionally, it empowers practitioners and patients to manage administrative tasks such as service booking and completing paperwork. The easy sharing of essential documents and data through the app ensures a top-quality customer experience.
We strongly believe in providing radical accessibility, making our app available on any device you have. Our portable medical dictation software simplifies clinical note-making and updates, ensuring an effortless process. With great accessibility comes great responsibility, and we prioritize the security of all notes, clinical records, results, and practitioner data by complying with global security requirements, including HIPAA, GDPR, and HITRUST.
References
Brooker, D. (2007). Person-centered dementia care. London: Jessica Kingsley.
Loyd, M. (2010). A practical guide to care planning in health and social care. Open University Press.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2021). What to expect during assessment and care planning. NICE; NICE. https://www.nice.org.uk/about/nice-communities/social-care/quick-guides/what-to-expect-during-assessment-and-care-planning
NMC. (2018, April 25). Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses. Nmc.org.uk. https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/standards-for-nurses/standards-of-proficiency-for-registered-nurses/
Nursing and Midwifery Council. (2018). The Code: Professional Standards of Practice and Behaviour for nurses, Midwives and Nursing Associates. NMC; Nursing and Midwifery Council. https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/code/
Commonly asked questions
The template is created through a collaborative effort between the patient, family, care staff, and healthcare professionals to plan best and deliver care that meets the medical and holistic needs of the patient.
Care plans are used when elderly patients or their loved ones indicate the need for more support in the patient's daily care or if there is concern about the health management of an individual. It may be as simple as planning a consistent medical round or instigating the development of a daily care plan involving 24/7 care offered through a facility.
The in-depth plans are used to check that all patient needs and wishes are met and dictate the care and support they may receive. They are used in clinical settings, in the home, and within care facilities.
