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Posted on: 28 September 2015

A medical binder is one of the single most important tools you can have when it comes to managing an aging parent's healthcare. While it's useful if your parent is still independent, it is indispensable if they have a home caregiver that is helping them manage their health. The purpose of the binder is to keep all of their health records in a single place. It is then taken to each medical appointment and available for every visiting healthcare worker. This way, both you and the healthcare aide have all medical info available, making it easier to answer a doctor's questions should the need arise.

Materials

• 2-inch three ring binder. Choose one with hard sides so the papers inside are fully protected.

• Tabbed dividers. Those with pockets are handy in case paperwork isn't filed right away.

• Clear pocket protectors. These are for papers that are prone to damage, like meal plans.

• Baseball card protector sheets. These sheets are perfect for business cards.

• Three-hole punch

• Label maker

Putting It Together

Your binder should have a minimum of five sections, but you can add more to fit your specific needs. The following are a few of the most useful sections for caregivers and medical providers alike:

1. Emergency sheet. Make this a single sheet. It should contain your parent's full name, date of birth, insurance providers and policy numbers, all current prescriptions, current health conditions, primary physician, and emergency contact information. Keep this sheet up to date and place a few extras in the binder, so there is always one on hand. A caregiver can grab this sheet to show to emergency and hospital staff in the event of an emergency medical visit. It can also be handy to take with the parent to a new doctor's appointment, since it has all the vital information on it.

2. Calendar pages. Use this to create an appointment book for your parent. A 12- to 18-month calendar is best, since some appointments can be made very far out in advance. This way, each different caregiver knows what appointments are coming up, and they have the freedom to help your parent make new appointments without the fear of a conflict.

3. Doctor and Insurance Information. Provide a sheet with all current doctor names, addresses, and contact information. Make sure to list what the doctor is being seen for. This is also a good place to list health insurance or Medicare policy information. Follow this sheet with some simple log sheets. The health care provider or relative taking your parent to doctor's appointments will log the date, time, doctor name, and purpose of each visit on this sheet. Make sure there are a few blank lines so any advice or treatment plans can be noted.

4. Medication lists. This section simply contains a list of all current prescription and non-prescription medications along with dosage requirements. You may also want to include copies of prescriptions, in case a pharmacy switch or travel is necessary.

5. Dietary section. Many people must pay special attention to their diet as they age. This is especially true for diabetics and those with heart disease. Use this section to outline any dietary restrictions because of health conditions or allergies. You may want to include sample menus or recipes for caregivers to choose from, or you may need to include a food log if you must closely monitor your loved one's diet.

For more information, speak with professionals like AAA Referral & Home Health.