Caring for an aging parent: what to get in place first.
One of the situations people bring to Atlas. A parent needs more help than before, and nobody has agreed who does what. The checklist below is free to use whether or not you ever open Atlas.
Written and kept up to date by the Atlas team · Last reviewed
Most families start this in the middle of an emergency, which is the hardest possible moment. This is the short list of things that are far easier to put in place beforehand — and the conversations that are worth having while everyone can still take part in them.
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First — the medical picture, in one place
One page you can hand to any doctor, paramedic or hospital. This is the single most useful thing on the list.
Then — the paperwork that must exist before a crisis
After a stroke or a fall it is often too late to put these in place. That is the whole reason they matter now.
Then — money and entitlements
Handled openly and early, this avoids the suspicion that tears families apart later.
Then — the home, and sharing the work
Most falls are preventable, and most carer burnout comes from one person quietly doing everything.
What to confirm with a doctor and a solicitor
Nothing here is medical or legal advice. Anything about health, medicines or capacity belongs with their doctor, who knows the case. Power of attorney, advance directives and care funding differ by country and state, and the documents must be drawn up correctly to be worth anything — confirm yours with a solicitor or the relevant authority. Involve the person themselves in every decision they are able to take part in.
Where Atlas carries it
The work is rarely one big thing. It is medicines, appointments, forms and check-ins, spread across several people who each think somebody else is on top of it.
That is what Atlas is for. You describe the situation in your own words, hand it whatever you already have, and it keeps the pieces in order, remembers what you decided, and tells you what is next. Atlas informs. You decide.
No account yet? You will be asked to sign in first, then the checklist loads with your ticks already in place.