A little help for the next step.

HoldOn Together
CONCISE READER
When SomethingSeems Different
A gentle guide for families noticing changes in
memory or thinking.
If someone you care about seems different, it can
be hard to know what to say. Use this guide to
notice changes, start a kind conversation and
prepare to ask for professional advice.
1. What you may notice
Look for changes from their usual abilities, such
as:
• You may notice the same question or recent
information being forgotten repeatedly.
• You may notice familiar tasks or everyday
planning becoming harder.
• You may notice difficulty following conversations
or finding familiar places.
• You may notice changes in judgment, mood or
participation.
These are examples, not a complete list. You can
ask a clinician about any change that concerns
you.
2. Start a caring conversation
Choose a quiet, private moment. Describe one
observation, ask how they feel and listen. Avoid
quizzes, public corrections or a family
confrontation.
“I care about you. I noticed something
seemed harder than usual. How has it felt
for you?”
Ask before sharing details. It may take more than
one conversation; ongoing concerns still deserve
professional advice.
3. Choose a next step together
Arrange a health care appointment for concerning
changes. Different conditions can contribute; a
clinician can help work out the cause. Offer a ride
or company if wanted. Bring examples of what
changed, when and its everyday impact. Do not
delay care to complete notes.
Agreed next step / who will help / when:
! Sudden confusion: get help immediately. Do not wait for a routine appointment. In the U.S., call 911 for sudden
confusion or stroke signs such as new speech difficulty, facial droop or one-sided weakness. Elsewhere, call your local
emergency number.
Educational guide, not a diagnostic test. 
Family health, managed together 1 of 1

A family kit for planned health appointments
For the person going to the appointment and anyone they invite to help.
The appointment
Date and time Place or video link Clinician and clinic
Office phone Reason for the visit, in your own words
Who is involved
People I want with me or on the phone What they may hear and share afterward
Let the office know who is coming, and ask whether they need you to sign a form to share information.
Before you go
Bring your current list of prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements, with
doses. The bottles work too.
Bring your insurance card and photo ID.
Bring recent results or letters from other clinicians, or ask the office how to send them securely.
Ask the office about access needs: an interpreter, hearing or vision support, mobility help or extra time.
Before anyone records the visit, ask everyone first, including the clinician, and follow office rules.
Choose your top three questions (page 3) and fill in what’s changed (page 2).
Allergies or past reactions to medicines Access or interpreter needs
For planned visits, not emergencies. If you think it may be a medical emergency, get emergency
help now (in the U.S., call 911). Don’t wait for a scheduled visit.
HoldOn Together Family health, managed together · Educational kit, not medical advice Page 1 of 5
Doctor Visit Prep Kit

DOCTOR VISIT PREP KIT 
What’s changed
Note what you or others have noticed since the last visit: what happened, when, and how it
affected daily life. Leave the explaining to the visit.
Since the last visit, has anything changed with:
Sleep Appetite or weight Mood or energy Balance or falls Pain
Memory or thinking Medicines started or stopped Hospital or urgent care visits
Change log
Date
What happened (as seen or
heard)
Where, and what
was going on Effect on daily lifeNoticed by
Write what happened, not what you think it means. Notes from family are helpful context, not a diagnosis,
and are shared with the person’s permission.
The change I most want to raise
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DOCTOR VISIT PREP KIT 
Questions to bring
Tick the questions that fit, write your top three below, and ask them early in the visit.
Checkup or new concern
What might be causing this?
Which tests do you suggest,
and why?
How and when will I get the
results?
What can I do at home for
now?
Follow-up or medicines
Is the current plan working?
Could any of my medicines or
supplements be contributing?
What is a new medicine for,
and what side effects matter?
Is there a lower-cost option?
Memory or thinking
What could be contributing to
these changes?
What will the tests tell us?
What are the options, with
their benefits and risks?
When should we follow up?
My top three questions
1. Question
Answer and notes
2. Question
Answer and notes
3. Question
Answer and notes
Before you leave, ask
Could you write down the
plan, or give me an after-visit
summary?
Who do I contact with
questions, and how?
What should make me call
sooner, or seek urgent help?
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DOCTOR VISIT PREP KIT 
After the visit
Write down what you heard while it’s fresh, agree who does what, and share only what the
person is happy to share.
Visit notes
Main points from the clinician Tests, referrals or results to expect
Medicine changes, as the clinic wrote them
Next steps
Next step Who By when Follow-up or done
Family summary
Only with the person’s permission, and only what they agree to share.
OK to share with Results or questions contact
What we want to share
When the clinic said to call, or to seek urgent help
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DOCTOR VISIT PREP KIT 
Memory and thinking visit
An optional page for visits about memory, thinking or behavior. It helps you describe what
is happening; only a clinician can assess it.
Timeline of changes
Helpful details include repeating a question in the same conversation, getting lost on a familiar route,
missed bills or medicines, trouble finding words, or changes in mood, sleep or interest in usual activities.
About when What changed A specific example Effect on daily life
In my own words
What matters most to me day to day What I would like from this visit
Questions for the clinician
What could explain these changes, including causes that can be treated?
Which tests do you recommend, and what will they tell us?
How will you share the results, and with whom, if I agree?
What could help with daily life now?
When should we follow up, and what should prompt an earlier call?
HoldOn Together Family health, managed together · Educational kit, not medical advice Page 5 of 5

HoldOn Together
 
Plan for a SuccessfulHoliday Visit
A family checklist for visiting someone living with
memory loss
A shared plan can make the visit more comfortable
for your loved one and help everyone know how to
contribute. Plan together and stay flexible.
Before the visit
Ask who they'd like to see, what they'd enjoy and which routines to respect.
Confirm the time, place, visitors, transport and a contact for changes.
Agree how to shorten, move or cancel the visit if they want to.
What they'd enjoy / routines to respect: Time, place and visitors:
Transport / person arranging it: Contact / plan if things change:
During the visit
Follow their pace. Ask whether the activity or
plan still feels right.
Ask them before taking photos, making a
recording or sharing personal details.
Before you leave
Agree on useful help with the person and the
person who helps them most often.
Give each agreed task an owner and date. Ask
your loved one who may receive each update.
Check with them before sharing new details.
Agreed task Who When
Next check-in: Who needs an update / how:
Keep this plan where the intended people can find it. Check that the help still fits before making arrangements.
Family health, managed together 
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