Care Playbook
Caregiver Is Burning Out
Use this playbook to identify what is unsustainable, track the workload, ask for specific help, add respite, and update the care plan.
Use as a working checklist. Complete what is useful now and return when the situation changes.
Caregiver safety note
If the caregiver feels unsafe, is having thoughts of self-harm, is afraid they may harm someone else, or feels unable to continue safely, seek immediate support.
In an emergency, call emergency services. In the U.S., call or text 988 for mental health crisis support.
Who this playbook is for
- Primary caregivers who feel the current plan is becoming unsustainable.
- Families who need to make workload visible before assigning tasks.
- Caregivers deciding whether respite, paid help, or a different setting is needed.
Common triggers
Quick situation intake
These answers personalize the callouts and summary. They do not block access to the playbook.
What to do now
What to do in the next 24 hours
What to do this week
What to document
These fields feed the shareable Family Care Plan Summary.
Who to call
Family member
Call when
Call when a task can be assigned to a specific person.
What to say
I need task ownership, not general encouragement. Can you own pharmacy refills every month, including ordering, pickup, and updating the medication list?
Home care agency
Call when
Call when the caregiver needs relief with bathing, toileting, transfers, meals, supervision, or respite.
What to prepare
Tasks needed, schedule, mobility needs, dementia needs, start date, and budget range.
Doctor or clinician
Call when
Call when care needs are changing, behavior is worsening, sleep is severely disrupted, or caregiver health is declining.
What to prepare
Recent behavior changes, sleep disruption, unsafe tasks, and caregiver health concerns.
Crisis support
Call when
Call when the caregiver feels unsafe, hopeless, at risk of self-harm, or unable to continue safely.
What to prepare
Current location, immediate safety concern, whether anyone is in danger, and a support person if available.
Escalation triggers
- If the caregiver feels unsafe or at risk of self-harm or harming someone else, seek immediate support.
- If no backup exists, create a backup caregiver plan before the next crisis.
- If sleep is disrupted, use Sleep Reset and add overnight relief to the plan.
- If weekly hours are unknown, use the Caregiver Hours Calculator before the family meeting.
Set a suggested review date
7 days after relief plan
Suggested review date: June 3, 2026
Generate care summary
Caregiver Relief Plan
Send the intake, documentation, checked actions, recommended tools, questions, and review date to the Family Care Plan Summary.
Kefiw Caregiver Relief Plan Date created: May 27, 2026 Suggested review date: June 3, 2026 Situation intake Are you the primary caregiver?: Not entered How does the current situation feel?: Not entered Is caregiving disrupting sleep?: Not entered Is there reliable backup care?: Not entered What feels heaviest?: Not entered Do you know how many hours per week caregiving takes?: Not entered Is paid help currently being used?: Not entered Documentation Top three stressors: Not entered Tasks that cannot safely continue: Not entered Estimated caregiving hours per week: Not entered Backup care gap: Not entered Tasks family can own: Not entered Paid or outside support needed: Not entered Caregiver boundary: Not entered Completed actions None checked yet Recommended next steps - Use Stress Check-In. - Use the Caregiver Hours Calculator. - Create a Stop / Share / Support list. - Use the Family Care Budget Calculator. - Generate a Caregiver Relief Plan. Questions to ask - Which tasks cannot safely continue? - Which tasks can family members own recurring, end-to-end? - What paid support or respite is needed this week? - What boundary protects caregiver and care recipient safety? Recommended Kefiw tools - Caregiver Hours Calculator: Make the full workload visible. - Stress Check-In: Sort stress into manageable, rising, severe, or unsafe. - Mind Reset: Use before a difficult family conversation. - Sleep Reset: Create a sleep recovery plan when nights are disrupted. - Family Care Budget Calculator: Add respite and paid support to the budget. - Respite Care Guide: Understand respite options and planning questions. Family script I am not asking everyone to do the same thing. I am asking us to make the workload visible and divide it honestly before the current plan becomes unsafe.
You have a starting plan.
You documented what happened, identified the next care steps, and selected tools to continue planning.
Related guides
Review and scope
Recommended reviewer type: Therapist, Clinician, Caregiver support specialist, Geriatric care manager. Last reviewed: April 30, 2026. Next scheduled review: annual update cycle or sooner when guidance changes.
Kefiw provides educational care-planning tools and guides. This playbook helps families organize decisions, estimate needs, prepare questions, and identify next steps. It does not replace medical, legal, tax, financial, insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, or emergency guidance. For urgent medical concerns or immediate danger, call emergency services.