Printable medication list
The list every hospital, pharmacist and paramedic asks for first. Fill it once, keep it current, print a copy for the fridge and one for the wallet.
Sleep and night-waking log
For the mornings when you cannot tell whether last night was worse than the night before.
Why a week, not a night
One bad night is usually explained by something — a late meal, a new medicine, a full moon of small annoyances. Six bad nights in a row is a pattern, and patterns change decisions: a medication review, a referral for a sleep assessment, a change to the care schedule so the person on duty is not the one who has been awake for four nights.
What to record
Bedtime, how many times they woke, the longest unbroken stretch, what time they were up for the day, and whether they napped during the day. The notes column is for the context: confusion on waking, calling out, needing the toilet, pain, someone else in the house awake.
Bring it with the daily log
Sleep and daytime behaviour usually move together — night waking up, daytime confusion up, appetite down. Print a week of this next to a week of the daily care log and the pattern is obvious at a glance.
Questions
How many nights should I record?
A week is enough to see a pattern and short enough to keep doing. Repeat it whenever sleep changes.
Do daytime naps go in the log?
Yes — naps explain night waking, and they are the easiest thing to change first.
Should I track the caregiver's sleep as well?
Yes. Recording who got up makes caregiver exhaustion visible, and it is one of the few ways to raise it with a GP or social worker.
Basis & sources
Primary sources only — the statute, form or paper this page is built on.
- Shimbo D, et al. Circulation. 2020;142:e42-e63 — 2 readings >=1 min apart, AM+PM, 7 days (min 3)
- Hypertension Canada 2024 Blood Pressure Log — BP log fields: target, arm, reading #1/#2, 7-day average
- California DDS MAR tip sheet — MAR header: name, DOB, allergies
- California DDS MAR tip sheet — dose, route, frequency required
- California DDS MAR tip sheet — PRN reason and result
- California DDS MAR tip sheet — refusal reason
- 42 CFR 482.43 — discharge planning CoP