Free family caregiver meeting agenda
The family group chat is not a care plan.
Fifteen minutes. One real commitment. Fewer messages beginning “Someone should…”
When you're sharing care for an aging parent, a short meeting can make one piece of the week clearer. Use this agenda to agree on ordinary tasks, include the person receiving help, and leave with a next step. You do not have to solve every family disagreement in one call.
Free. No account or email signup. A blank worksheet; no care information is entered or collected here.
A small planning conversation
Your 15-minute family caregiver meeting
Before the call: ask the person receiving help what matters to them, how they want to take part, and what information they agree to share. Invite only the people needed. Choose one practical issue.
- 0–3 MIN
Start with their priority.
“What would make this week work better for you?” Check preferences before assigning help.
- 3–6 MIN
Name the uncovered work.
Pick one task. Include the calls, arranging and follow-through—not only the visible errand.
- 6–11 MIN
Ask for an honest commitment.
Who agrees to own it? What does “done” mean? What timing, information or appropriate access is needed?
- 11–15 MIN
Read back the plan.
Confirm a backup, list anything unresolved, and agree when to check in. A clear “no” leaves a gap to plan for.
The person's priority:
One task & what “done” means:
Agreed owner:
By when:
Agreed backup / what happens if it falls through:
Still unresolved & who will ask:
Next check-in:
For ordinary coordination, not clinical care instructions or legal authority. A family agreement does not replace the older person's choices or professional guidance. Keep completed copies private.
Free resource from the Graham Ellery book project · Apparently, I'm the Caregiver
graham-ellery-caregiver.danrs100.chatgpt.site/family-caregiver-meeting-agenda/
An invitation that has a finish line
Could we have a 15-minute call this week about one part of the care schedule? Let's start with what our parent wants help with, choose one uncovered task, and agree who can take it on, by when, and with what backup. Please say honestly what you can manage. The aim is a workable next step, not a perfect family.
Illustrative wording to adapt. Check your parent's preferences before inviting others or sharing details.
Make “help” specific enough to accept
“Help with groceries” may still leave someone choosing every item and solving every delivery problem. A clearer agreement names the task, the routine decisions the person can appropriately handle, and which questions must go back to your parent or another responsible person.
For a purely practical example: “Confirm Thursday's ride and tell us the agreed details by Tuesday. If the driver cancels, contact the agreed backup and tell us what is still uncovered.” Do not assign someone a medical or personal-care task they cannot safely perform.
A relative far away may be able to handle an agreed call or scheduling task. The person nearby should not automatically inherit every unfinished detail.
What if fifteen minutes isn't enough?
Record the unresolved issue and who will take the next step. Arrange a longer conversation or suitable professional help when needed. This small agenda cannot settle disputes about decision-making authority, money, safety or treatment.
For the ongoing schedule, use the free weekly caregiver planner. For more wording, try sharing care with siblings.
For the next difficult conversation
Apparently, I'm the Caregiver goes beyond this one meeting: family responsibilities, long-distance caregiving, work, boundaries and respite, across 32 chapters with 39 illustrations.
The book is sold separately. The agenda stays free, with no purchase required. Compare all three editions.
Share something useful
Libraries, caregiver newsletters and community groups are welcome to link to this page or distribute the unchanged blank agenda with its source credit. It can be used without buying the book. For a ready-to-use newsletter blurb, see the free caregiver resource sharing kit.
Original resource prepared with AI assistance for the Graham Ellery book project. Graham Ellery is a pen name. The book uses AI-generated text and images with extensive editing. General educational information; no professional credentials or clinical validation are claimed.
Related public guidance: the National Institute on Aging's Sharing Caregiving Responsibilities. NIA is not affiliated with or endorsing this resource or book.