11/07/2026
Handover Note Template for Aged Care Shift Changes
Use this aged care handover note guide to record changes, outstanding tasks, appointments, and follow-up. Download a free editable Word template.
Guide record
How this guide is reviewed
CaresLink reviews guides for plain language, practical operational use, and consistency with official sources linked on the page.
- Published
- 11/07/2026
- Reviewed
- 11 July 2026
An aged care handover note helps the next worker understand what changed, what remains open, and what needs attention. Use it when care responsibility transfers and useful information must move with it.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission says provider communication systems should address handovers or care transitions. Its guidance also connects shared information with the provider's information management system.
That guidance does not prescribe one CaresLink form. This guide and template are a general operational resource only. Review them against your organisation's policies, systems, privacy process, and service context.
When to use a handover note
A handover note can help when one worker, coordinator, or team transfers responsibility to another. It is most useful when the next person needs clear follow-up information.
At a residential or continuous-support shift change.
Between home care workers when a task or observation needs follow-up.
When a coordinator changes or returns responsibility to another team member.
When an appointment, equipment issue, message, or agreed action carries into the next service period.
Not every service visit needs a separate handover form. Follow your provider's process and avoid creating duplicate records with no clear purpose.
Handover note, progress note, or incident report?
These records serve different jobs. A simple comparison can help workers choose the correct internal process.
| Record | Main purpose | Typical focus | Does not replace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handover note | Transfer useful information to the next worker or coordinator | Changes, open tasks, reminders, messages, and follow-up | Progress notes, incident processes, care plan reviews, or medication records |
| Progress note | Record support delivered during a visit or shift | What happened, observations, response, and agreed follow-up | A dedicated handover where responsibility transfers |
| Incident report | Record and manage an incident through the provider's process | Facts, immediate action, notifications, and review | Handover or routine service records |
| Care plan review | Review needs, goals, preferences, risks, and planned supports | Agreed changes and review decisions | Daily notes or shift communication |
| Medication administration record | Record medication activity through the approved medication process | Administration, prompts, refusals, omissions, or other required entries | A general handover note |
Use the record type set by your organisation. One event may require more than one record, but each record should keep its own purpose.
Common fields for an aged care handover note
1. Identify the person and the handover
Use a provider-approved identifier. Add the date, time, service location, outgoing worker, and incoming worker where relevant.
Avoid adding extra personal information simply because a template has space. Follow your privacy and record-matching process.
2. Summarise support completed
Record the key support completed during the shift or service period. Keep the wording brief, factual, and linked to the agreed service.
3. Note relevant changes
Record observed changes that the next worker needs to know. Describe what you saw or heard without diagnosing the cause.
Use the provider's separate clinical, incident, or escalation process when the situation requires it. The handover note should not replace those records.
4. Separate open tasks from completed tasks
Name each open task, the reason it remains open, the expected next action, and any useful timing. Avoid vague wording such as 'tasks outstanding'.
5. Add appointments and time-sensitive reminders
Include the appointment or event, date, time, transport status, and agreed action. Only include information needed for the next worker's role.
6. Record relevant messages
Summarise relevant communication from the older person, supporter, family member, coordinator, or other service contact. Attribute the message and record any agreed follow-up.
7. Record concerns and escalation already started
State what was observed, when it occurred, what action was taken, and who was contacted. Reference another record by date or internal identifier where useful.
Do not use the handover form to decide whether an event is reportable. Follow the provider's incident and escalation process.
8. Record the author and time
Record who prepared the handover and when. Follow local policy on whether the receiving worker also records acknowledgement.
Handle medication information carefully
A handover note is not a medication administration record. Use the medication administration record and the provider's medication process as the source of truth.
If the next worker needs a medication-related follow-up, record only what the local process permits. Reference the correct record instead of copying sensitive details into several places.
A short handover note example
This example shows neutral wording for a routine home care handover. It does not cover every service or risk scenario.
| Prompt | Example wording |
|---|---|
| Support completed | Morning personal care and breakfast support completed as scheduled. |
| Relevant change | Client A used their walking frame throughout the visit and asked for extra time before leaving the bedroom. |
| Open task | Laundry cycle finished near the end of the visit. Drying remains open for the afternoon worker if it fits the agreed service. |
| Message | Client A said their daughter plans to visit at 4 pm today. |
| Follow-up | Check the laundry and confirm the planned visit with Client A before taking any action. |
The example separates facts, reported information, and follow-up. It does not guess why the person requested more time.
Handover notes under Support at Home
Support at Home replaced the Home Care Packages Program and Short-Term Restorative Care Programme on 1 November 2025. The program uses participant-directed care and can involve workers, coordinators, associated providers, and other service contacts.
An internal handover can support timely communication when responsibility moves between those people. Include only information relevant to the person's current care and services plan, preferences, and agreed support.
A completed CaresLink template does not establish whether a provider has met an obligation. Check current official guidance and use the provider's own information management system.
Common handover note mistakes
Using vague wording such as 'fine', 'settled', or 'usual' without a useful observation.
Copying unnecessary personal, health, or family information into the handover.
Using the handover note instead of an incident report, clinical record, or medication record.
Recording an opinion or diagnosis instead of the observed facts.
Listing an open task without an owner, time, or clear next action.
Writing the note much later, when details may be harder to recall.
Assuming every worker understands local abbreviations or informal shorthand.
How to adapt the free Word template
Open the Staff Shift Handover Form in the related templates section. Review each prompt before using it with live information.
Keep only the fields your team needs.
Add your approved record identifier and document owner.
Align escalation prompts with your current internal process.
Decide where the final record is stored and who can access it.
Train workers on when to use the form and when another record is needed.
The editable Word format is a starting point. Store completed records through your organisation's approved system, not in an uncontrolled personal folder.
Frequently asked questions
What is an aged care handover note?
It is an internal record used to pass relevant information when responsibility moves to another worker or coordinator. It usually highlights changes, open tasks, reminders, messages, and follow-up.
Is a handover note the same as a progress note?
No. A progress note records support delivered during a visit or shift. A handover note focuses on what the next person needs to know.
When should a handover note be completed?
Use one when responsibility transfers and useful information needs to follow. Your provider's policy should define the exact timing and workflow.
Should a handover note include a date of birth?
Use the provider-approved identifier required for correct record matching. Do not add more personal information than the provider's process needs.
Should the receiving worker acknowledge the handover?
Record the author and time. Follow local policy on whether the receiving worker must also record that they reviewed the handover.
Can a handover note contain medication information?
Only within the provider's medication process. The handover is not the medication administration record and should not duplicate it.
Does Support at Home require this CaresLink template?
The official sources checked for this guide do not prescribe a CaresLink form. Use it as a general operational starting point and adapt it locally.
Can a small provider use an editable Word handover template?
Yes, as an internal drafting starting point. Review the fields, privacy controls, storage location, access, and local procedures before use.
Disclaimer
These resources are provided for general operational documentation and educational purposes only. They do not constitute legal, clinical, medical, compliance, or professional advice. Organisations should review and adapt all documents according to their own policies, procedures, registration requirements, funding arrangements, and regulatory obligations.