The Notebook You’ll Carry Everywhere

by Crystal Knapp

At some point it happens. You find yourself taking care of your kids, or someone else’s kids, or an adult with complicated health issues.

Here’s what I’ve learned since I’ve been taking care of my special-needs adult sister. You have to get organized.

A friend gave me the excellent advice to start a 3-ring binder (my “notebook”) and add to it all the information and reports I get on my sister over time. So, I started a binder on her. It worked so well, . When a question arises or a doctor appointment comes, all our important medical information is in one place! Now, this part of my life is much simpler.

Items Needed:

3-Ring binder

Notebook paper

Hole punch (optional)

Choose a sturdy binder in a size that works for you, either regular size or compact. Take this binder to all doctor appointments and meetings with government services.

Start with just enough paper so you won’t be Mark your dividers for each family member — and don’t forget yourself. If something happens and you can’t talk, let your notebook speak for you.

Put a heading at the top of each page with the name for that section. Create separate pages for General Information, Doctors, Medications, and Health History. Then you can record additional notes as time goes along. See my sample pages.

The General Information page contains information that is asked over and over again on applications, doctor intakes, and health reports. This includes birthdate, *Social Security number, address, insurance provider, ID numbers, and phone numbers of insurance. I included a copy of all insurance cards, front and back, and typed all entries. If you don’t have a home printer, try to make copies at a library or a do-it-yourself office store. But handwritten notes work too! Just be sure to write out ALL information you might need.

On your Doctors page, list the primary care doctor’s name, address, and phone number first. Then list dentists and vision doctors. As specialists are added, be sure to keep their names, addresses, and numbers on this page as well.

The first entry on the Medications page should be the name, address, and phone of your preferred pharmacy. Next, make a list all medications. I found many templates online, but my own list worked best for me. Because I fill my sister’s pill tray, I listed her meds in the order of when each should be taken. Alphabetical lists can work too. Just be sure to note the medication’s strength and frequency given, what it treats, and who prescribed it.  Sometimes describing what it looks like helps if there are a lot of pills to keep track of.

Don’t forget to list Supplements and Vitamins in their own category. And be sure to record any drug allergies.

The Health History page is also very helpful. Note dates of surgeries, tests, vaccines, and even the date a problem was diagnosed. You may think you will remember, but it is better to have it written down. Don’t count on doctors or hospitals to share all the medical history with you. Instead, take ownership of the information.

As medical offices and government agencies give you papers, decide whether they should be filed away or inserted into your binder for future use. I have paper clipped a note or taped or hole-punched a document into my notebook, depending on how and when I thought it would be used. Since my binder is a compact size, I trim off the margins before hole punching and inserting.

My hairstylist told me she has a binder for every one of her five children with their birth certificates and social security cards in it. When she experienced a house fire, she grabbed her children plus the binders so nothing would be lost.

I think this notebook will become a valuable possession as you keep track of this vital information for every person for whom you are responsible. Also, certain pages can be taken out to give to a sitter. Just make sure those pages do not contain *confidential information.

*Social security numbers, birth certificates, as well as bank and credit card numbers are confidential and should only be shared when necessary.

Crystal Knapp, founder of Reach UP magazine, tells her story here. Married late in life to David Knapp, a twice-widowed missionary, her dream of a family was granted in a big way with 28 grandchildren and one great-grandbaby.