Care Handover Checklist: 7 Things Every Shift Should Know

A good care handover can make all the difference to the next shift.

It’s the difference between starting work knowing what’s happened and spending the first part of your shift trying to piece everything together.

Has somebody’s medication changed? Is a resident feeling unwell? Has an appointment been arranged? Is there something the next team needs to follow up?

These details matter.

And with November bringing colder weather, seasonal illnesses and preparations for the busy winter months, communication between care teams becomes particularly important.

That’s why having a clear care handover checklist can help staff share important information, maintain continuity of care and make sure nothing gets overlooked.

So, what should a care handover include?

What is a care handover in health and social care?

A care handover is the process of sharing important information between care staff when responsibility for someone’s care moves from one person or team to another.

In residential care, this often happens when one shift finishes and another begins. In domiciliary care, information may need to be shared between carers attending different visits.

A good handover should help the incoming team understand what’s happened, what’s changed and what still needs attention.

It’s not about repeating every detail from the previous shift.

It’s about communicating what matters.

What should a care handover checklist include?

A care handover checklist should cover seven key areas: changes in health and wellbeing, medication updates, incidents, care plan changes, appointments, outstanding tasks and personal preferences.

The information shared will depend on the individual, their needs and what happened during the previous shift.

Here are seven things worth checking.

1. Changes in health and wellbeing

Has anybody been feeling unwell?

Have there been changes in eating, drinking, mobility or behaviour?

Sometimes, the smallest observations can be important.

Perhaps a resident hasn’t been eating as much as usual, or somebody receiving home care has mentioned feeling unusually tired.

These details might not seem urgent on their own, but they could be relevant to the next person providing care.

What to include in your care handover:

• Changes in physical or emotional wellbeing.
• New symptoms or concerns.
• Changes in eating, drinking or mobility.
• Any observations or follow-up actions required.

The important thing is to explain what was observed, what action was taken and whether anything needs further attention.

2. Medication updates and concerns

Medication information needs to be accurate and communicated appropriately.

If a medication has changed, a dose has been refused or an administration concern has occurred, relevant staff need to know.

However, a care handover should never replace checking medication administration records or following your service’s medication procedures.

What should be included in a medication handover?

Relevant updates may include medication changes, refusals, omissions, administration concerns and any monitoring or follow-up required.

Care Control’s eMAR supports digital medication recording, helping authorised staff access relevant information when managing medication responsibilities.

3. Incidents, accidents and safeguarding concerns

Not every shift goes exactly to plan.

An incident may have occurred, somebody may have experienced a fall or a concern may have been raised that needs further attention.

These situations should be recorded and managed through the appropriate procedures.

Your care handover checklist should cover:

• Any incidents or accidents.
• Actions already taken.
• People who have been informed.
• Outstanding observations or follow-up actions.
• Safeguarding concerns that have been escalated appropriately.

A handover shouldn’t be the only place where these events are documented.

But it should help the next team understand what they need to know.

5. Appointments, visits and important arrangements

Sometimes, it’s the practical details that get missed.

A resident has a hospital appointment tomorrow.

A family member is visiting in the afternoon.

A healthcare professional has requested a follow-up.

Or transport needs arranging.

These might seem like small things, but forgetting them can create unnecessary disruption.

Include any important arrangements such as:

• Upcoming appointments.
• Family or professional visits.
• Transport requirements.
• Changes to daily routines.
• Follow-up requests from healthcare professionals.

The next shift should know what’s happening, when it’s happening and whether anything needs preparing.

6. Outstanding tasks and follow-up actions

We’ve all had those days where another job gets added to the list just as a shift is finishing.

It might be a phone call that needs returning, a record that needs checking or an appointment that still needs confirming.

The problem isn’t always that something hasn’t been completed.

It’s when nobody knows it’s still outstanding.

How can care teams prevent missed tasks during handover?

Care teams can reduce missed tasks by clearly recording outstanding actions, identifying who is responsible and communicating any deadlines or priorities.

For each outstanding task, make sure the next team knows what needs doing, who is responsible and when it needs to happen.

7. Personal preferences and the little things that matter

Not every important handover detail is clinical.

Sometimes, the most useful information is something personal.

A resident might be looking forward to a family visit.

Somebody may have had a difficult afternoon and would appreciate a quieter evening.

Or a person might have expressed a preference about their routine that the next team should respect.

These details matter because good care is about more than completing tasks.

It’s about understanding the person receiving support.

A good handover helps the next team continue providing care that feels familiar, respectful and personal.

Why are effective care handovers important during winter?

Winter can bring additional challenges for care services.

Staff sickness, annual leave, seasonal infections and changes to everyday routines may mean different team members are supporting the same individuals.

As November gets underway, it’s worth reviewing how your service communicates between shifts.

Can staff quickly find important updates?

Are outstanding actions clearly recorded?

Does everyone understand what information needs passing on?

And if somebody is covering a shift at short notice, can they access what they need to know?

These are useful questions throughout the year, but they’re particularly relevant as services prepare for winter.

How can digital care handovers improve communication?

Digital care handovers can help care teams record, organise and access important information between shifts, supporting more consistent communication and continuity of care.

Rather than relying entirely on handwritten notes or verbal updates, digital records can help make information available to the staff who need it.

Of course, technology doesn’t replace professional judgement or the need for direct conversations when something requires immediate attention.

It should support the way care teams communicate, not complicate it.

Supporting care handovers with Care Control Cloud

Care Control Cloud supports digital Care Planning, Daily Notes and Handovers, helping care teams record important information and maintain continuity between shifts.

MargoAI can also support care documentation through note enhancement and summarisation features.

For care teams, the aim is to make relevant information easier to work with, while keeping care professionals responsible for checking records and deciding what action is needed.

Because even with better technology, good communication still comes down to the people delivering care.

How can care providers improve their handover process?

If you’re reviewing handovers within your care service, start by looking at how they work on an ordinary day.

Ask your team whether handovers follow a consistent structure, whether important information is easy to identify and whether outstanding actions are clearly assigned.

It’s also worth checking that incoming staff have an opportunity to ask questions and that confidential information is shared appropriately.

Sometimes, the people completing handovers every day have the clearest idea of what could work better.

A good care handover starts with the right information

A good care handover doesn’t need to include every conversation, every completed task or every detail from the previous shift.

It needs to communicate what matters.

What’s changed?

What needs attention?

And what does the next team need to know to continue providing safe, person-centred care?

As care services prepare for the winter months, now is a good time to review how information moves between shifts.

Because when staff start their shift with the right information, they’re better prepared to support the people relying on them.

Want to see how Care Control Cloud can support digital care handovers and everyday care documentation?