Family-centered means recognizing the important role families play in planning for a good life. Families have their own ideas, experiences, and knowledge about what is needed to support their family member.
Planning helps families think about what they want now and in the future. It can help families talk through decisions, explore options, and plan next steps together. These tools help families share their perspective while supporting their family member’s voice.
Helps families create a vision for their family member’s good life and think about goals and what to avoid.
Helps people look at different kinds of support in their life and how they work together.
Helps people build a vision for the future across different areas of life.
Helps families identify the people in their network and the roles they play, and think about future support.
The Charting the LifeCoure Portfolio for Family Perspective is a printable set of three foundational planning tools together in one place. Designed as a tabloid-sized (17 inches wide by 11 inches high) booklet, it includes the:
Caring for a loved one can be rewarding, but it can also be challenging. It is important for caregivers to take care of themselves while supporting others. This toolkit helps caregivers reflect, plan, and find balance so they can support their own well-being and their loved one’s good life. It was developed in partnership with Elevance Health.
Reflect on what matters most in your caregiving experience. Capture what’s important today and what you hope for the future to support planning and problem-solving.
Reflect on your life and well-being while caring for others. Consider what you want and need today and in the future, then identify next steps to help you move toward your vision.
Identify the supports you have and explore additional resources that can help you in your many roles. Build a support network that meets your loved one’s needs while also supporting your own well-being.
Reflect on the support you need to care for your loved one while maintaining your own well-being. Identify what would be most helpful now and in the future to ensure you are cared for, too.
Consider how your loved one wants to be supported and identify ways to meet those needs. Create a balance that helps you care for others while also caring for yourself.
Create a shared vision with your loved one for each area of life. Identify what matters most and the steps you can take together to achieve your goals now and in the future.
The Charting the LifeCourse Portfolio for Caregiver Well-Being is a printable set of three tools developed and customized in partnership with Elevance Health. Designed as a tabloid-sized (17 inches wide by 11 inches high) booklet, it includes the:
The tip sheets in this section are designed to serve as a guide to help you use the Caregiver Well-Being tools to explore, plan, problem-solve and make decisions about how to best care for yourself while you care for others.
Completing any of the CtLC tools just for the sake of completing them should never be the goal. The tools are designed to help you reflect and organize your thoughts and ideas in ways that help you and your loved one plan, problem-solve, make decisions, and find supports to help both of you be physically, mentally, and emotionally well. They are meant to guide conversations between you and your loved one, other family members, or with professionals.
Each tool can be completed over time. Take a moment to reflect and return to the process as often as needed. Even when a tool is completed, they can be revisited from time to time, especially as life or role changes happen.
Tip Sheet: About Me
This tip sheet can help guide your reflection of your experiences in providing care and support to others. Use the prompts and questions in each section to facilitate your exploration of what is important to and for you.
Tip Sheet: Life Trajectory
This tip sheet provides an overview of how and why to use the Life Trajectory – Caregiver Well-Being tool. It gives suggestions on how to complete and use the trajectory, and includes specific guidance and prompts for each of the sections of the trajectory.
Tip Sheet: Integrated Supports Star
Use this tip sheet to discover how to use the Integrated Supports Star tool to explore different kinds of resources that will help support you and your loved one. Identify ways to ensure the needs of your loved one are met, and consider who – or what – can help you maintain your well-being.
Tip Sheet: Mapping Supports for the Caregiver
This tip sheet explains how to use the Mapping Supports for the Caregiver tool to explore the supports you want and need as you continue to care for others. The importance of considering Caring About and Caring For is explained, and specific guidance and prompts are provided for each section of the tool.
Tip Sheet: Mapping Supports for the Person Receiving Care
Use this tip sheet to guide use of the Mapping Supports tool with your loved one to identify specific ways in which others can provide care and support. Step-by-step guidance for how to complete the tool, including what to consider related to Caring About and Caring for a person, is included.
Tip Sheet: Life Vision
This tip sheet guides exploration of each life domain, including the topics and sub-topics that may be important to consider for the overall quality of life for you and your loved one. Tips for how to complete the tool in a way that considers the wants and needs of everyone and facilitates discussion about how to move toward a shared vision are included.
The Caregiver Toolkit is intended to help you as a caregiver to care for yourself while caring for a loved one. But thinking or talking about one’s life or the future is very personal and can be overwhelming.
It can be a reminder of how much roles have changed, of unrealized dreams and goals, or the uncertainty and fears about the future. If considering your current life circumstances or thinking about the future is difficult, remember to take care of yourself as you go.
Here are a few ideas to help you deal with stress or other emotions that may come up:
Take breaks, as often and for
as long as you need.
Choose a space that is
comfortable for you.
Treat yourself the way you
would treat
a good friend
Practice breathing or
mindfulness exercises.
Seek support from a trusted friend
to be a sounding board.
