Your privacy matters. Information you enter into this plan is saved locally in this browser on your device. Elephant Grace Dementia Care does not receive or store your notes or plan entries. Clearing your browser data may remove your saved information.
Elephant Grace Dementia Care
The Next 7 DaysYour Dementia Care Clarity Action Plan
From your assessment result to clear, practical next steps for the week ahead.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105
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Begin with clarity
Start with your assessment result, then follow the pathway written for where you are now.
✓
Make the plan yours
Fill in the worksheets, save progress on your device, and return when you are ready.
♥
Move with grace
Practical guidance, prayer, and encouragement are woven together throughout the week.
Something Changed Today?
Use LAMP.
A quick framework for deciding what needs attention right now.
ImportantA sudden medical, behavioral, or safety change may need medical attention regardless of the assessment result.
Start With Your Assessment Result
See Where You Are Now and What’s Next
Choose your assessment result. Each card opens the corresponding care pathway and practical next steps.
This result stays saved for your personalized printout even when you view a different care pathway below.
↑
Choose a care pathway above
Your care pathway will open here.
Use LAMP
When Something Changes, Know What To Do First
This framework can guide your next steps at every stage of the care journey.
L
LOOK
What changed?
Be specific about the behavior, ability, symptom, or safety concern.
A
ASK
Is it sudden, severe, or unsafe?
Sudden change may need medical attention rather than being assumed to be dementia progression.
M
MAKE SAFE
What can make this moment safer or calmer?
Reduce the immediate risk or stimulation you can control right now.
P
PROCEED
Take one next step.
Emergency help, medical call, safety change, support call, or planned care conversation.
When something changes suddenly
Today’s concern and your long term plan are different questions.
Your assessment result helps guide longer term planning. A sudden medical or behavioral change helps guide what needs attention today. Prompt evaluation can help identify possible causes and the right next step. If there is immediate danger, seek urgent professional help.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105
When you need to call the medical team
Give Them a Clear Picture of What Changed
Instead of a general “something is wrong,” share what changed, when it started, and what you are noticing now so they have the information they need to guide the next step.
For privacy, keep notes general and avoid entering names or other identifying medical information.
Have these details ready
Medical Call Preparation
A simple script
“My loved one normally ......
I have noticed ......
This began ......
I am concerned because ......
Do they need to be evaluated, and what should I watch for next?”
Your 7 Day Action Plan
Practical Next Steps for This Week
These next steps are useful no matter which assessment result you received.
For privacy, keep notes general and avoid entering names or other identifying medical information.
Days 1 to 2
Home Safety Walk
Walk through the home with fresh eyes and notice the small changes that could make daily life safer, easier, and more comfortable right now.
AreaLook forOne change this week
Kitchen
Is cooking still safe and manageable? Check the stove and appliances, sharp items, cleaning products, and food that may be expired or forgotten.
Bathroom
Look for steady footing, secure grab bars, a comfortable water temperature, clear pathways, and enough light for nighttime bathroom trips.
Bedroom / hallway
Make sure the path to the bathroom is easy to follow, especially at night. Check for loose rugs, cords, clutter, or dim areas that could make walking harder.
Medications
Check that medications are clearly labeled, safely stored, and taken as directed. Notice any missed doses, duplicate doses, or confusion about what to take and when.
Doors / exits
Are doors and locks easy to manage safely? Keep track of keys and consider what would help if your loved one becomes confused about leaving or finding their way home.
General safety
Look for anything that could make everyday movement less safe, including clutter, tools, firearms, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that need attention.
Days 3 to 4
Build Your Support Plan
Take a closer look at the help your loved one uses throughout the day and identify where added support could make daily life easier, safer, and more consistent.
Daily Support Needs Check
Meals & hydration
Planning meals, grocery shopping, preparing food, reminding or encouraging them to eat and drink, noticing poor appetite or dehydration concerns
Medications
Remembering when to take medicines, getting refills, organizing medications, noticing missed or duplicate doses
Bathing & personal care
Showering, dressing, grooming, toileting, changing clothes, continence care
Mobility & fall safety
Getting in and out of bed or chairs, walking safely, using stairs, getting to the bathroom, reducing fall hazards
Transportation & errands
Getting to appointments, grocery shopping, pharmacy trips, church, activities or other errands if driving is no longer safe or comfortable
Supervision & safety
Having someone nearby when being alone is becoming unsafe because of confusion, wandering, falls, unsafe cooking or poor judgment
Companionship & daily routine
Conversation, activities, walks, reminders, keeping a regular daily rhythm and reducing long periods alone
Household tasks
Laundry, dishes, cleaning, changing linens, organizing the home and keeping walkways clear
Appointments & care coordination
Scheduling visits, keeping track of recommendations, communicating with doctors, pharmacies and family members
Evenings & nighttime
Help with bedtime, nighttime confusion, bathroom trips, wandering, repeated waking or reassurance
Caregiver relief
Giving the primary caregiver dependable time to sleep, work, attend appointments, go to church, see friends or simply rest
You may already be covering many of these needs well. The areas marked No or Sometimes are places where added support may make the biggest difference.
Days 5 to 6
Put Your Plan Into Action
Use what you learned this week to complete the next practical steps for your situation. Focus on the pathway that matches your assessment result.
Choose your assessment result in Assessment Result to highlight your care pathway. You can still review every checklist below.
Home Appears Mostly Manageable
Added Support at Home
Assisted Living & Residential Care
Memory Care
Make One Move Before Day 7
Choose the action that would move your care plan forward most and commit to it now.
Day 7
Bring the Week Together
Take a moment to notice what became clearer this week, then choose the next step that will best support your loved one now.
Keep This Guide Close
You Have a Plan for What Comes Next
Over the past seven days, you have paid attention to what is changing, gathered important information, considered safety and care needs, and identified where additional support may help. You do not need to have every future decision figured out. Keep this guide nearby and return to it as needs change.
Come Back to This Guide When You Need To
Understand what your assessment result means
Notice and track changes in care needs
Use LAMP when something changes
Prepare for conversations with the medical team
Recheck safety and daily support needs
Identify where additional help may be useful
Choose the next practical step
When to review the plan again
Revisit this plan when you notice a meaningful change in safety, mobility, memory, daily activities, behavior, nighttime needs, or the amount of support required. You do not need to wait for a crisis. As needs change, return to LAMP and choose the next helpful step.
Resources & Next Steps
Continue with Elephant Grace
Clarity for Caregivers. Grace for the Journey.
Practical, Christ-centered guidance and tools to help you understand changing care needs, prepare for transitions, and know what to do next.
Practical support for times of transition, including adding help at home, returning home after a hospital or rehab stay, moving to assisted living or memory care, and adjusting as care needs change.
Dementia Care Clarity Playbook
Coming Soon
Practical ongoing guidance for understanding dementia, handling everyday caregiving situations, knowing what to say and do, and recognizing when additional help may be needed.
Additional Trusted Resources
Use these national resources when you want to search on your own, or call when speaking with someone would be more helpful.
Alzheimer’s Association
Caregiving guidance, local programs, support, and a free 24/7 helpline.
Elephant Grace Dementia Care created The Next 7 Days to bring calm and clarity when dementia care decisions feel overwhelming. Grounded in trusted dementia and aging resources, real world senior living expertise, and personal caregiving experience, this guide helps you recognize what matters, take practical next steps, and prepare for conversations with care professionals.
Move forward with compassionate, experienced guidance and the comfort of knowing God is with us. May He provide wisdom, strength, and grace for each step ahead.
Important Information
This guide is for educational purposes and does not replace individualized medical, legal, financial, or other professional advice. Contact an appropriate healthcare professional about new or changing medical concerns. Call 911 or local emergency services if someone is in immediate danger or experiencing a medical emergency.
Care services, licensing terms, eligibility requirements, insurance coverage, and available resources vary by location and provider.
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain translation.
Your privacy matters. Information you enter is saved locally in this browser on your device. Elephant Grace Dementia Care does not receive or store your notes or plan entries. Clearing browser data may remove saved information.
For personal caregiver use. Not for resale, redistribution, or commercial reproduction without permission.
Elephant Grace Dementia Care
The Next 7 Days
Your Dementia Care Clarity Action Plan
Your privacy matters. Information in this plan is saved locally in this browser on your device. Elephant Grace Dementia Care does not receive or store your notes or plan entries.
How to Use This Plan
From your assessment result to clear, practical next steps for the week ahead.
Begin with clarity
Start with your assessment result, then follow the pathway written for where you are now.
Make the plan yours
Write in the spaces provided and return when you are ready.
Move with grace
Practical guidance, prayer, and encouragement are woven together throughout the week.
Something Changed Today? Use LAMP.
A quick framework for deciding what needs attention right now.
Start With Your Assessment Result
Start with your assessment result, then follow the care pathway written for where you are now.
My assessment result:
Important: A sudden medical, behavioral, or safety change may need medical attention regardless of the assessment result.
Use LAMP
When Something Changes, Know What To Do First
This framework can guide your next steps at every stage of the care journey.
LOOK
What changed?
Be specific about the behavior, ability, symptom, or safety concern.
ASK
Is it sudden, severe, or unsafe?
Sudden change may need medical attention rather than being assumed to be dementia progression.
MAKE SAFE
What can make this moment safer or calmer?
Reduce the immediate risk or stimulation you can control right now.
PROCEED
Take one next step.
Emergency help, medical call, safety change, support call, or planned care conversation.
Today’s concern and your long term plan are different questions.
Your assessment result helps guide longer term planning. A sudden medical or behavioral change helps guide what needs attention today. Prompt evaluation can help identify possible causes and the right next step. If there is immediate danger, seek urgent professional help.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105
Prepare for a Medical Call
Instead of a general “something is wrong,” share what changed, when it started, and what you are noticing now so they have the information they need to guide the next step.
Do they need to be evaluated, and what should I watch for next?”
Days 1 to 2: Home Safety Walk
Walk through the home with fresh eyes and notice the small changes that could make daily life safer, easier, and more comfortable right now.
Area
Look for
One change this week
Kitchen
Is cooking still safe and manageable? Check the stove and appliances, sharp items, cleaning products, and food that may be expired or forgotten.
Bathroom
Look for steady footing, secure grab bars, a comfortable water temperature, clear pathways, and enough light for nighttime bathroom trips.
Bedroom / hallway
Make sure the path to the bathroom is easy to follow, especially at night. Check for loose rugs, cords, clutter, or dim areas that could make walking harder.
Medications
Check that medications are clearly labeled, safely stored, and taken as directed. Notice any missed doses, duplicate doses, or confusion about what to take and when.
Doors / exits
Are doors and locks easy to manage safely? Keep track of keys and consider what would help if your loved one becomes confused about leaving or finding their way home.
General safety
Look for anything that could make everyday movement less safe, including clutter, tools, firearms, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that need attention.
The three changes that would reduce the most risk:
Days 3 to 4: Build Your Support Plan
Take a closer look at the help your loved one uses throughout the day and identify where added support could make daily life easier, safer, and more consistent.
Area of support
What this can look like
Support in place?
Who or what could help?
Meals & hydration
Planning meals, grocery shopping, preparing food, reminding or encouraging them to eat and drink, noticing poor appetite or dehydration concerns
Examples: Family, meal delivery, home care aide, adult day program
Medications
Remembering when to take medicines, getting refills, organizing medications, noticing missed or duplicate doses
Examples: Family, pharmacy packaging, medication reminders, appropriate caregiving or clinical support
Bathing & personal care
Showering, dressing, grooming, toileting, changing clothes, continence care
Examples: Family, home care aide, personal care attendant
Mobility & fall safety
Getting in and out of bed or chairs, walking safely, using stairs, getting to the bathroom, reducing fall hazards
Examples: Family, caregiver, home safety changes, or physical therapy for strength, balance, and mobility
Transportation & errands
Getting to appointments, grocery shopping, pharmacy trips, church, activities or other errands if driving is no longer safe or comfortable
Examples: Family, senior transportation, community programs, paid caregiver
Supervision & safety
Having someone nearby when being alone is becoming unsafe because of confusion, wandering, falls, unsafe cooking or poor judgment
Examples: Family rotation, home care, adult day program, increased supervision
Companionship & daily routine
Conversation, activities, walks, reminders, keeping a regular daily rhythm and reducing long periods alone
Examples: Family, friends, church community, companion care, adult day program, local senior centers
Household tasks
Laundry, dishes, cleaning, changing linens, organizing the home and keeping walkways clear
Examples: Family, housekeeping, home care aide
Appointments & care coordination
Scheduling visits, keeping track of recommendations, communicating with doctors, pharmacies and family members
Examples: Family point person, care manager, trusted support person
Evenings & nighttime
Help with bedtime, nighttime confusion, bathroom trips, wandering, repeated waking or reassurance
Examples: Family, overnight caregiver, additional care planning
Caregiver relief
Giving the primary caregiver dependable time to sleep, work, attend appointments, go to church, see friends or simply rest
Examples: Family, respite care, home care, adult day services
Three areas where added support could help most:
1.
2.
3.
Days 5 to 6: Put Your Plan Into Action
Use what you learned this week to complete the next practical steps for your situation. Focus on the care pathway that matches your assessment result.
Home Appears Mostly Manageable
[ ] Put one safety, medication, or daily routine improvement in place
[ ] Schedule or confirm routine medical follow up
[ ] Choose a date to review care needs again
Notes:
Added Support at Home
[ ] Choose the one or two support needs that would help most
[ ] Contact at least two possible providers or community resources
[ ] Compare availability, experience, services, and cost
[ ] Choose the next support option you want to pursue
Notes:
Assisted Living & Residential Care
[ ] Confirm the care needs that must be supported
[ ] Set a workable monthly budget
[ ] Identify and screen a few appropriate communities
[ ] Schedule tours only with the strongest matches
Notes:
Memory Care
[ ] Complete your Memory Care Snapshot
[ ] Identify the type of dementia support needed most
[ ] Find and screen a few appropriate memory care options
[ ] Ask whether each program can support the specific needs you described
[ ] Verify licensing or regulatory information before moving forward
Notes:
Make One Move Before Day 7
Choose the action that would move your care plan forward most and commit to it now.
My one next action:
Who I need to contact:
What I need to ask or find out:
I will do this by:
[ ] Done
Day 7: Bring the Week Together
Take a moment to notice what became clearer this week, then choose the next step that will best support your loved one now.
What became clearer to me this week:
The care need that deserves the most attention now:
The medical or safety follow up I need to complete:
The person, provider, or resource I want to connect with next:
My next step:
I will do it by:
Keep This Guide Close
Return to this guide when you need to understand your result, notice and track changes, use LAMP, prepare for a medical conversation, recheck safety and support needs, or choose the next practical step.
Revisit this plan when you notice a meaningful change in safety, mobility, memory, daily activities, behavior, nighttime needs, or the amount of support required. You do not need to wait for a crisis.
Provider Contacts and Memory Care Snapshot
Contact 1
Organization or service:
Phone or website:
General notes:
Contact 2
Organization or service:
Phone or website:
General notes:
Contact 3
Organization or service:
Phone or website:
General notes:
Mobility, transfers and falls:
Bathing, dressing, toileting and eating:
Wandering, safety and supervision:
Nighttime needs:
Behaviors, triggers and what helps:
Medical conditions, medications and therapies:
Find Trusted Help
Use these national resources when you want to search on your own, or call when speaking with someone would be more helpful.
Your local hospital’s social services department or a nearby senior center may be able to connect you with trusted local placement advisors and senior living communities.
Elephant Grace Dementia Care created The Next 7 Days to bring calm and clarity when dementia care decisions feel overwhelming. Grounded in trusted dementia and aging resources, real world senior living expertise, and personal caregiving experience, this guide helps you recognize what matters, take practical next steps, and prepare for conversations with care professionals.
This guide is for educational purposes and does not replace individualized medical, legal, financial, or other professional advice. Contact an appropriate healthcare professional about new or changing medical concerns. Call 911 or local emergency services if someone is in immediate danger or experiencing a medical emergency.
Care services, licensing terms, eligibility requirements, insurance coverage, and available resources vary by location and provider.
National Institute on Aging — Alzheimer’s Caregiving: Managing Personality and Behavior Changes; Alzheimer’s Caregiving: Home Safety Tips
Alzheimer’s Association — Choosing Care Providers; Long Term Care
Alzheimer’s Association & AARP — Community Resource Finder
Administration for Community Living — Eldercare Locator
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — Home Health Services; Medicare & Home Health Care
Department of Social Services — Resources for Clients and Their Families; Dementia Care Information and Resources; Facility Search
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain translation.
Your privacy matters. Information you enter into the web app is saved locally in your browser on your device. Elephant Grace Dementia Care does not receive or store your notes or plan entries. Clearing your browser data may remove your saved information.
Need to reassess?
Care needs can change. Retake the free assessment whenever the current care plan no longer seems to fit.
Guidance for the Road Ahead
You do not have to know exactly what comes next. As care needs change, Elephant Grace is creating practical tools to help you understand your options, prepare for transitions, and move forward one step at a time.
Care Transition Companion
Coming Soon
Step-by-step help before, during, and after a change in care.
This product supports transitions throughout the dementia care journey, including increased support at home, hospital discharge, SNF/rehab discharge, recovery, changing care needs, moves between care settings, and changes in level of care.
Dementia Care Clarity Playbook
Coming Soon
Practical ongoing guidance for understanding dementia, handling everyday caregiving situations, knowing what to say and do, and recognizing when additional help may be needed.
