Describing your goals can help you become aware of your current situation and personal expectations.

Guide: Write below your thoughts about your goals as a partner in your family member/friend’s care (this may change over time).

• Think about changes your family member/friend may experience in the near or distant future. How might these changes affect what you want for your family member/friend? For yourself?
• Develop your goals as a carer. Start with short attainable goals.
  • One way to do this is to work towards setting SMART goals:
    • Specific (Developing a well defined goal: e.g. the who, what, where, when and why of the goal)
    • Measurable (Knowing what you will see, hear and feel when you reach your goal. Breaking your goal down into its measurable components)
    • Attainable (Weighing the effort, time and other costs that the goal will take to achieve)
    • Realistic (Creating a goal that can be achieved with available resources and knowledge)
    • Timely (Making sure you have enough time to achieve your goal and that it is relevant to present circumstances)
  • What roadblocks might you encounter while working towards these goals? How might you overcome these roadblocks?
  • Discuss your goals with others, in particular care home staff