Is It Time? Aging Parent Care Options Workbook | Printable Family Decision Planner After the Holiday Visit (Letter + A4)

You were home for the holidays and something felt off. Here's what to do before you drive away.

Most families leave the visit with a bad feeling and no plan. Then everyone remembers it differently, the sibling who wasn't there wants a different answer, and the decision waits until a fall or a phone call makes it for you. This workbook gives you the next step: write down what you actually saw, hear what your parent wants, compare four real options side by side, ask agencies and communities the same questions, and write down a decision for now, with a date to look at it again.

Decide while you still get to choose.

What's inside (32 pages, US Letter and A4)

• Start: Start Here (how to use the workbook in five minutes) and Contents

• Notice what's changing: Visit Notes (3 pages), Everyday-Life Check, Home Safety Walk-Through, Falls & Close Calls Log, and Four-Week Pattern Tracker

• Listen and take stock: In Mom's Own Words, About Mom, What the Family Can Realistically Give, Sibling Task Split, and Who-to-Call List

• Weigh the four paths: The Four Paths, in Plain Language; Our Priorities Scorecard; Side-by-Side Comparison (no path is marked best); Cost Worksheet (blank, for figures a provider gives you in writing); and Questions to Ask Before Choosing

• Check the options: Home Care Agency Call, Tour Questions (3 pages, one copy per community), Community Side-by-Side (2 pages), and Agreement Questions for the contract or residency agreement

• Decide and follow up: Family Conversation Planner, Our Decision for Now, Next Steps, and a 3-Month Re-check

• Sources (2 pages): every bracketed number in the workbook points here

How it works

Start on the visit, or right after it, with Visit Notes, the Everyday-Life Check, and the Home Safety Walk-Through. Share those pages with your siblings before the family call so everyone starts from the same facts. Track the same areas for four weeks, talk privately with your parent, and fill in what each family member can give. Score the four paths on what matters to your family, then call agencies or tour communities with the same questions every time. Hold the family conversation, write your decision for now, and come back on your re-check date to compare then and now.

Who it's for

Adult children who came home from a visit worried about a parent who lives alone, and who want to decide early and together instead of in a crisis. It works for siblings in different cities too.

FAQ

• Does it tell us which option to pick? No. No path is marked best. The scorecard and comparison pages use your own notes and your own priorities.

• Does it include costs? No. Prices and services vary by place. The Cost Worksheet is blank, for figures a provider gives you in writing, with the date.

• We're not sure anything is wrong yet. Is it too early? Start with Visit Notes and the Four-Week Pattern Tracker, so one bad day doesn't decide anything.

• Can I print more than one copy? Yes. Print fresh Visit Notes, Tour Questions, or agency call sheets as often as you need.

• What format is it? An instant PDF download in US Letter and A4. Nothing is shipped.

Good to know:

• Once you've chosen a path, our other kits pick up from there: the Caregiver Hiring Kit for help at home, Mom's Moving In if she's moving in with you, the Assisted-Living Move Planner for a community, and The Caregiver Binder for every path.

Disclaimer and sources

An organizing tool only, not legal, tax, or medical advice. For questions about your parent's health, safety, or driving, ask their doctor. The disclaimer is printed on every page. The tips in the workbook are numbered and linked to their published sources on the two Sources pages.