How to Make a Care Plan
Be A Hero, Make A Care Plan
What is a care plan?
A care plan is a guide that allows you to always have a say in your health care no matter the circumstances. It can be as basic as making sure you have what you need to take care of yourself—such as having health insurance and knowing where to get support if you get sick. Care planning can also involve more advanced steps to make sure others have what they need to take care of you and speak for you if you can’t.
Putting together a care plan involves communicating the care you want to your loved ones and health care team. Your care plan is their roadmap to ensure that the care you receive is based on what matters to you.
Download our care plan guide.
How do I start a care plan?
Preparing a care plan is not difficult, but it does require some dedicated time and a bit of organization. Our care planning guide is designed to help you gather your thoughts on the priorities and concerns you have about your health and well-being to ensure that the care you receive is based on what matters to you. It includes step-by-step instructions, worksheets and prompts to help you record and share key information with your loved ones, health care team or others who may be in a position to help you.
To get started, download our care planning guide here: Can We Talk About Care Planning?
Download the following worksheets below to also help start your care plan:
NPAF’s Medications List | Download
NPAF’s Doctors List | Download
NPAF’s Household Bills List | Download
Talking about your health with your loved ones and care team might feel overwhelming at times, but our “Can We Talk” guides are designed to help you. Visit our Can We Talk? webpage to find our tips for preparing for a telehealth appointment and communicating your needs and priorities.
Care Planning Resources
Our care planning resources
Can We Talk About Care Planning? | Download
NPAF’s care planning guide is designed to help you gather your thoughts on the priorities and concerns you have about your health and well-being to ensure that the care you receive is based on what matters to you.
NPAF’s Medications List | Download
NPAF’s Doctors List | Download
NPAF’s Household Bills List | Download
Planning during the COVID-19 pandemic | Download
Can We Talk? resources
Can We Talk About What Matters to Me? | Download
Tips to help you talk about your needs and priorities with your doctors.
Can We Talk About Telehealth? | Download
Tips to help you talk about telehealth with your doctors and how to prepare for an appointment.
Our insurance plan guides
ACA Plan Guide | Download
We know that choosing a health plan can be overwhelming. This guide and accompanying work sheets walk you through four key steps that will help you prioritize your needs and compare health plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Medicare Plan Guide | Download
Most people enroll in Medicare when they turn 65, but did you know that you can switch Medicare options at two times during the year if your circumstances change? This guide walks through four key steps to help you find the best Medicare coverage for you.
Patient Advocate Foundation services
PAF Case Management Services
National Financial Resource Directory
PAF’s Financial Aid Funds
Care planning conversation support tools
Common Practice
Creators of Hello, a conversation game about living and quality of life.
The Conversation Project
A website dedicated to helping people talk about their wishes for end-of-life care.
PREPARE For Your Care
An interactive website that serves as a resource for families navigating medical decision-making
Additional support tools
Foundation for Financial Planning
Free consumer resources for individuals who need financial planning support.
Getpalliativecare.org
Palliative care focuses on maximizing quality of life for patients and caregivers and is appropriate at any age and any disease stage. These resources provide information about holistic care available to patients and caregivers.
NPAF’s educational resources are a core part of our Patient Action League (PAL) program made possible by generous support from the following sponsors: Abbvie, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Takeda Oncology, Sanofi Genzyme and Johnson & Johnson.