Kinship GuardA caregiver task list you can copy: daily, weekly and monthly
A caregiver task list is one shared list of the jobs involved in caring for someone, with one named owner for each job. The jobs usually fall into six groups: check-ins, medicines, food and home, appointments, paperwork and money, and giving the main carer a break. Below is a list you can copy, a way to decide who does what, and a worked week.
A good list does two jobs. It stops things being forgotten, and it shows the whole family how much there is. Use these lists as a starting point, then delete what does not apply and add what does. Every person is different, so treat this as a prompt, not a standard. In Australia and the UK the same role is usually called a carer.
How to use this list
- Copy the sections that apply to your situation.
- Give every task one named owner and one backup.
- Put it somewhere everyone can see, and update it when things change.
- Review it every few weeks. Needs change, and a task list that does not change quickly becomes wrong.
Daily
- Morning check-in call or visit
- Medication taken as scheduled (see keeping track of medications)
- Meals and drinks: is food in the house, and is it being eaten?
- Mobility and safety: walking aids in reach, floors clear, lights working
- Mood and wellbeing: anything different from usual?
- A short note for the family about how the day went
Weekly
- Grocery shop and fridge check, including out-of-date food
- Laundry and bedding
- Cleaning and tidying
- Refill the weekly pill organiser, if one is used
- Check the post and any urgent letters
- Confirm the next week's appointments and transport
- A longer visit or social contact for your parent
Monthly
- Reorder prescriptions before they run out
- Pay bills and check statements
- Review the household: smoke alarm batteries, heating, repairs
- Look at the care plan: is anything getting harder?
- Short family check-in: who needs a break?
As needed
- Book and prepare for doctor visits (see preparing for a doctor's appointment)
- Follow up on test results or referrals
- Update the emergency information sheet (make one with our free emergency information sheet builder)
- Review insurance, benefits and legal documents
- Arrange respite care so the main carer can rest
One task to do today
If you only do one thing from this page, make an emergency information sheet. It puts contacts, allergies, medicines and the location of important papers on a single page for whoever needs them. Our free emergency information sheet builder makes one in about ten minutes. It runs in your browser, needs no sign-up and keeps nothing you type.
Who takes which task
The US National Institute on Aging (NIA) suggests sharing tasks by each person's skills and interests. It also lists jobs that can be done from a distance, so living far away does not rule anyone out.
| Group of tasks | Examples | Can be done from far away? |
|---|---|---|
| Check-ins | Daily call, regular visit, a note to the family | Calls yes, visits no |
| Medicines | Keeping the list current, reordering, filling an organiser | The list and reordering yes, the organiser no |
| Food and home | Groceries, meals, laundry, repairs | Online orders and booking repairs yes |
| Appointments | Booking, transport, going along, writing up notes | Booking yes, and joining telehealth visits with permission |
| Paperwork and money | Bills, insurance claims, benefits, keeping documents in order | Yes |
| A break for the main carer | Covering a weekend, arranging respite care | Arranging yes, and covering a few days on a visit |
Give every row one owner and one backup. If one name appears in every row, that is the problem to solve first. See how to share caregiving with your siblings.
A worked week
This is an example for a fictional family, to show the level of detail that works. Sam lives nearby, Casey lives across town and Jordan lives in another city.
| When | Task | Owner | Backup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every morning | Check-in call | Sam | Jordan |
| Monday | Reorder anything running low; confirm the week's appointments | Jordan | Sam |
| Tuesday | Drop off groceries; check the fridge | Casey | Sam |
| Thursday | Take Alex to physiotherapy; write up what was said | Sam | Casey |
| Friday | Pay bills; file any new letters | Jordan | Sam |
| Saturday | Longer visit; fill the weekly pill organiser | Casey | Sam |
| Sunday | Fifteen-minute family check-in: what is coming, who needs a break | Everyone | Sam |
Notice that Jordan, who lives furthest away, still owns real work, and that Sam has a named backup for everything.
What a task needs to be useful
A line like “sort the medication” will be done differently by every person. A better task has:
- A clear action: “Collect repeat prescription from the pharmacy”
- A due time: by Thursday 5 pm
- An owner: one named person, not “the family”
- A place for notes: “Ask about the new tablets; ring if it is not ready”
Keep it in a caregiving notebook
The National Institute on Aging describes a "caregiving notebook" as a place to compile medical care details, contacts, financial information and other key details so everyone involved stays informed. It can be paper kept in a central place or an electronic document, and the NIA says to make sure everyone involved can reach it and that it is reviewed and updated regularly. The NIA also offers free printable caregiver worksheets, including ones for coordinating responsibilities, home safety, medicines and supplements, and important documents.
When the list should change
A list that never changes is probably out of date. The NIA says the best way to know what someone needs is to ask them directly, and describes signs that may indicate someone needs extra support. They include:
- Trouble preparing meals safely, not bathing regularly, or not dressing for the weather
- A home that has become cluttered, or medicines that are missing or not being taken regularly
- Significant weight gain or loss, poor hygiene, confusion, falls, loneliness, or trouble getting around
- Changes in mood, or memory problems beyond occasional forgetfulness
These are not a diagnosis. They are reasons to talk to the person and their doctor, and to look at the list again. If someone says they feel hopeless, or you are worried they may harm themselves, seek immediate help: the NIA gives the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for the US, and elsewhere call your local emergency number. Read more in signs an aging parent needs more help.
Share the list, not the stress
If the list lives in one person's head or notebook, that person carries all the worry. When everyone can see the same list, others can pick up tasks without being asked and the main carer can take a day off.
Keep it light
A task list is meant to reduce effort. If it feels like another job, shorten it. Start with the daily and weekly sections, and add detail only where things keep slipping.
Share the work with your care circle
In Kinship Guard each task has a due time and a named owner, and the Today screen shows what still needs doing.
Free to download · iPhone, iPad and Android
Questions
What should be on a caregiver's daily checklist?
A daily list usually covers a check-in, medicines taken as scheduled, food and drink, safety around the home, anything different from usual, and a short note for the family. Remove what does not apply to the person you care for.
How do you divide caregiving tasks among family members?
Give each task one named owner and one backup, and match tasks to what people can do. The US National Institute on Aging suggests starting with a meeting that includes the older person, naming a primary caregiver for everyday tasks, and sharing the rest by each person's skills and interests.
How often should a caregiver task list be updated?
We suggest looking at it every few weeks and after any change in health, living arrangements or who is available. The National Institute on Aging says to check in regularly because needs and availability change.
Is there a free caregiver task list template?
Yes. You can copy or print the lists on this page. The National Institute on Aging also offers free printable worksheets, including one for coordinating caregiving responsibilities.
What can someone do if they live far away?
Plenty of tasks do not need someone in the room. The National Institute on Aging lists helping with finances, bills and insurance claims, arranging in-home care, ordering supplies, researching options and organising paperwork.
Sources
- Sharing Caregiving Responsibilities · National Institute on Aging, NIH, content reviewed 12 October 2023
- Caregiver Worksheets · National Institute on Aging, NIH, content reviewed 11 April 2023
- Does an Older Adult in Your Life Need Help? · National Institute on Aging, NIH, content reviewed 12 October 2023
- What Is Long-Distance Caregiving? · National Institute on Aging, NIH, content reviewed 12 October 2023
Facts about health, law and services in this guide are paraphrased from these pages, read on 1 November 2026. Where a source describes one country's rules, check your own country's official service.
This guide is general information. It is not medical, legal or financial advice. Rules and services differ by country and state, so check with a qualified professional about your situation.
Related guides
- How to share caregiving for an aging parent with your siblingsA practical way to divide caregiving for an aging parent fairly between siblings: split the work by task, keep everyone informed, and avoid resentment.
- Signs an aging parent needs more help, and what to do about each oneSigns an aging parent needs more help, sorted by urgency: a one-visit checklist, a watch-or-act rule, and who to call for an assessment in AU, US and UK.
- What to write in a care journal (and why a caregiver log helps)What to record in a caregiver log or care journal, how short entries beat long ones, and how a shared journal makes handovers between family members easy.