Aged Care Handover Report – What Makes a Good Report?
At the end of a shift, the next team needs a clear picture of which residents need attention, what has changed and what still needs to be done.
A good aged care handover report gives staff relevant, up-to-date information and makes follow-up responsibilities clear. It doesn’t need to repeat every detail in a resident’s record. It needs to help the incoming team understand what matters now.
Why Handover Matters
Handover is a practical part of maintaining continuity between shifts. It gives the incoming team an opportunity to ask questions, clarify priorities and understand any actions that are still outstanding.
A useful handover is focused on the resident and their current needs. It should distinguish between what has been observed, what action has been taken and what needs to happen next.
What Should an Aged Care Handover Report Include?
The information will vary depending on the resident and your organisation’s procedures. Include relevant updates such as:
- Changes or concerns: A change in the resident’s condition, usual behaviour, care needs or wellbeing.
- Observations and actions: Relevant observations, who has been informed, what action has been taken and the resident’s response.
- Care-plan updates: Changes to short-term plans, instructions or support needs that the next team should know about.
- Incidents and follow-up: Recent incidents, the response and any review or monitoring still required.
- Tasks and responsibilities: What needs to be done, who is responsible and when it is due.
- Appointments and movements: Relevant appointments, transfers or periods when a resident is away from the facility.
- Communication: Important conversations with the resident, family or whānau that affect their care or require follow-up.
Share only information relevant to the handover, and follow your organisation’s privacy and documentation procedures.
Use ISBAR to Structure Important Updates
For a focused clinical update, a structure such as ISBAR can help organise the conversation. Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality & Safety Commission describes ISBAR as Identify, Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation, and notes that it can be used for handovers at shift changes.
- Identify: Identify yourself, your role and the resident you are discussing.
- Situation: Explain what is happening or what has changed.
- Background: Give the relevant context, such as the resident’s usual condition or care needs.
- Assessment: Share the observations and concerns relevant to your role.
- Recommendation: Explain what you are asking for, or what needs to happen next.
Use the communication approach adopted by your organisation. The purpose is to share information clearly, not to replace clinical judgement or local escalation procedures.
Make Handover a Two-Way Conversation
A handover works best when the incoming team can clarify anything they are unsure about. Minimise avoidable interruptions, while ensuring residents continue to receive the support they need during the handover period.
Before finishing, check that key concerns, outstanding tasks and responsibilities have been understood. If information is unclear, confirm it with the person handing over rather than relying on assumptions.
Support the Conversation with Clear Records
Verbal handover and written records have different roles. The conversation draws attention to priorities and gives staff a chance to clarify. Clear records provide the detail the team may need to refer back to during the shift.
VCare gives authorised staff access to resident information such as care plans, notes and observations through the tools available to their organisation. This can support the information used during handover, while staff continue to communicate important changes and agreed actions directly.
