Keeping a diary - for carers

If you care for someone with Parkinson’s, you may find it helpful to keep a diary. This information gives suggestions what you might want to record.

You may want to use a diary for different reasons. Keeping details of what you do day to day in relation to your caring role can be a helpful way to find out and keep track of how much you’re doing, how you’re coping and whether you need any support.

Recording what you do in your caring role can be helpful when speaking to a health professional, such as a Parkinson’s nurse. It may help to remind you of things or give a clearer picture of your situation to the person you’re talking to.

A diary may also be useful when applying for welfare benefits, as it can demonstrate how Parkinson’s affects daily life for you and the person you care for.

Some people find it helpful to keep a diary if they are preparing for a carer’s assessment. For information about arranging a carer’s assessment, call our helpline on 0808 800 0303.

You can use any kind of diary or notebook to write down what you do and how you feel over the course of each day. 

If you have a computer, smart phone or tablet device, you may prefer to keep an electronic diary or use an app.

What should I record in my diary?

A diary can be a useful way to keep track of how much you're doing for someone, how you're coping and whether you need any support. Here we've listed some questions to help you think about what you may want to include. 

Download this information

Keeping a diary - for carers (PDF, 149KB)

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Last updated July 2017. We review all our information within 3 years. If you'd like to find out more about how we put our information together, including references and the sources of evidence we use, please contact us at [email protected]