Care Mapping - A Tool for Families

A care map is a visual representation of a family's network for a child’s care. Everyone can create their own care map. A care map can include people, professionals, places, and relationships involved in a child’s care.

A care map can give families new insights about their own personal situation and their relationships. It supports communication with others about care and the development of new skills.

The elements suggested will not apply to everyone. It is recommended that each care map reflect the specific child and family.

Would creating a Care Map be helpful for you?

If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, you may find that creating a care map could be a useful tool.

For families:

  • Are you having difficulty navigating and understanding who does what within the health, community, and social care systems?
  • Are you feeling overwhelmed with multiple appointments and care teams?
  • Are you feeling that you have multiple and/or competing priorities and not enough help?
  • Are you having challenges with coordinating your child’s care?
  • Are you and your child experiencing transitions from one service to another? (e.g. hospital to home, home to daycare, new to school, child to adult)

    • For healthcare providers:

    • Do you understand the families and child’s care situation and who is all involved in care?
    • Are there multiple clinics and care teams involved in the child’s care?
    • Are there multiple systems involved in the child’s care? (e.g. health, community, education, social)
    • Is the family experiencing challenges with navigating and coordinating their child’s care?
    • Does the family need to make decisions about prioritizing care?
    • Is the family or will the family experience various/multiple transitions?

    Video

    Templates

    You can create different style of care maps depending on the reason for the map. Here are some sample templates:

    Additional resources:

    Current as of: Nov 08, 2022

    Disclaimer
    This material is designed for information purposes only. It should not be used in place of medical advice, instruction and/or treatment. If you have specific questions, please contact your doctor or appropriate health care professional.
    No copyright infringement is intended.