Quick question.
You know their med schedule by heart. Their pharmacist's name. Which arm to take the blood pressure on. The exact way they like their coffee.
When was the last time you booked your own checkup?
If you had to think about it, this one's for you.
I saw you
Before HAVEN, I spent my whole career as a nurse. I was a CNA and an LPN in nursing homes. An outpatient and inpatient dialysis nurse. A neuro ICU nurse. An OR and PACU nurse.
I was in people's lives. And when you're in someone's life that deeply, you see the person standing next to the bed too.
The daughter. The husband. The son who drives in on his lunch break. The wife who knows every number, every med, every question to ask, and still has a job, a home and a family waiting for her when she walks out those doors.
The caregivers.
They were always the ones apologizing for asking too many questions. They were always the ones who looked like they hadn't slept. And they were almost never the ones anyone asked about.
And no, it's not just because you're busy
It's because caregiving doesn't come with a plan.
It comes with phone calls. Portals. Refills. Forms. A folder of paperwork that keeps getting thicker. A family group chat that goes quiet the second you ask for help.
And somewhere in all of that, you quietly moved yourself to the bottom of the list. Not because you don't matter. Because there was always one more thing for them first.
I want you to know: you're allowed to be on the list too.
What if you protected two and a half hours a day?
When I stepped back from nursing and threw myself into my own home, I created the 2.30 System and the HAVEN Planner to help moms make home life easier.
Then the comments started coming in. "Please make one for caregivers."
So I rebuilt the 2.30 System for you.
- 1 hour for you. Not errands. Not their appointments. A walk, a nap, a shower that isn't rushed, a call with a friend.
- 1 hour for them. Time that isn't a task. A show, a drive, old photos, sitting outside. Who they are, not just what they need.
- 30 minutes of care admin. Calls, refills, portals, bills. Contained to one half hour, so it stops leaking into every hour of your day.
You write those in first. Before anything else claims the day.
Here's what's inside
About Them, and About Me
Everything an ER, doctor or substitute caregiver needs about them, including who they are, not just what they need. And right next to it, a page about you. Your doctor. Your meds. Who covers if you get sick. The signs you're burning out.
The documents you don't want to be hunting for in a crisis
Power of attorney, healthcare proxy, HIPAA release, advance directive. Mine or theirs, done or not, and exactly where it's kept.
Who paid what, without anyone keeping score
The family cost split. So the money conversations stay kind.
Every day starts with your 2.30
My hour, their hour, care admin. Then time blocking from 4 AM to midnight, meds given, and how you're both doing from 1 to 10. Because how you're doing matters too.
The handoff sheet
Every nurse knows the handoff is everything. Meds given, meals, mood, and what's still to do, so the next person on shift isn't guessing.
"If I'm Not Here"
A normal day, meds and times, what upsets them, what calms them, and when to call. So you can actually leave the house. Go to your own appointment. Breathe.
The help menu
For the next time someone says, "Let me know if you need anything." Hand them this. Meals, rides, sitting with them, errands, the yard. And one section that's just for you.
My Health Too
Your checkups, your appointments, your refills. Book yours while you're booking theirs.
Who this is (and isn't) for
This isn't for you if you want another to-do list to feel guilty about.
It's for you if you're holding someone else's whole life in your hands and slowly losing your own. If you need something to lean on, built by a nurse who stood next to caregivers like you for years.
Get it tonight
The Caregiver Planner is a printable, instant download for $34. Print it tonight and start any month.
If the person you care for wants a planner of their own, the Health + Care Bundle gets you both for $54. One for them, one for you.
Here's exactly how to print it.
You've been taking care of everyone.
Let this be the thing that takes care of you.
xo, Taylor
P.S. Start with the Help Menu. Fill it out tonight and text a picture of it to two people who've said "let me know if you need anything." You don't have to do this alone. You never did.
The Caregiver Planner is an organizing tool. It isn't medical or legal advice and doesn't replace your care team.
