Caregiver Preparation Pack Part of the free Diabetes Information and Appointment Toolkit from Natural Diabetes Remedy (naturaldiabetesremedy.com). Version 1, October 2026. Written by the Natural Diabetes Remedy editorial team. Not yet reviewed by a clinician. This pack is for a family member or friend whom a person has invited to help with appointments. It helps you organize support, questions and jobs. It does not ask for test results, medicines, readings or diagnoses, and it has no space for them on purpose. How to use it: print the pages, or write in a copy on your own device. Fill in the pages together with the person you are helping. Nothing you write in this pack reaches us. --- 1. Agree on the help first. Before you plan anything, talk with the person about what help they want. They lead. You support. The person I am helping (first name only): ____________________ My name: ____________________ Date we talked: ____________________ What I have been asked to help with Tick only what the person asked for. - [ ] Writing down questions before the visit - [ ] Keeping track of the appointment date and time - [ ] Getting to the appointment, or setting up a video visit - [ ] Coming to the appointment with them - [ ] Taking notes during the visit, if the person asks and the care team agrees - [ ] Reading printed information together after the visit - [ ] Checking where a piece of health information comes from - [ ] Something else: ________________________________________ What stays theirs to decide These choices belong to the person, not to the helper. - Which questions to ask, and in what order - What to share, and with whom - Whether I join them in the exam room, wait outside, or stay home - Their care decisions, which they make with their care team - When to change or end this arrangement What I agree not to do - [ ] I will not speak for them unless they ask me to. - [ ] I will not share their information with other people without asking first. - [ ] I will not write down details they want to keep private. - [ ] I will not suggest treatments, foods, products or targets. Those questions go to the care team. Keep health details where they belong This pack does not need any personal health information. Keep results, medicine lists and readings in the person's own records, or in the care team's channel, such as a patient portal or phone line. Never send health details to Natural Diabetes Remedy. We will look at this agreement again on: ____________________ Our initials: ________ ________ We can change any part of this agreement at any time. --- 2. Build a shared question list. The person chooses the questions. You can help put them into words and write them down. How to fill it in 1. Ask the person what they want to understand better after this visit. 2. Write up to three questions in their words. 3. Put the most important question first, so it gets asked even if time is short. 4. Leave the answer space empty until the visit. The care team answers, not the helper. The visit (date and care-team contact name or office): ________________________________________ What the person wants to understand better: ________________________________________ Priority Question, in the person's words Answer, in our own words 1 (most important) ______________________________ ______________________________ 2 ______________________________ ______________________________ 3 ______________________________ ______________________________ Ideas for understanding questions These are examples of the kind of question that helps with learning. The person decides whether to use them. - "What does this word on my visit summary mean?" - "Is there a free class or handout you would suggest for learning more?" - "What is the best way to send a question after today?" Questions to save for another visit: ________________________________________ --- 3. Get ready for appointment day. Use the boxes the person agreed to on page 1. Skip any line that is not part of your role. The day before - [ ] Confirm the date, time and place, or the video link. - [ ] Confirm the ride, parking or how to join the video visit. - [ ] Ask the person what role they want tomorrow: in the room, in the waiting room, on the phone, or not at all. - [ ] Put the question list from page 2 in a bag or folder. - [ ] Pack a pen and this pack. - [ ] Ask whether the person wants to bring anything for the care team. They decide what to bring and they keep it. At the visit - [ ] Let the person speak first. - [ ] If asked, read the questions in order, starting with question 1. - [ ] If asked, write the answers in plain words on page 2. - [ ] If something is unclear, the person can ask for written instructions. - [ ] Check understanding together: "Can I say back what I heard?" - [ ] Ask the best way to contact the care team with a follow-up question. Before you leave - [ ] Do we both know the agreed next step? - [ ] Do we know whom to contact, and how? - [ ] Is there one question still unclear? Write it on page 5. Notes for next time (about the plan, not health details): ________________________________________ --- 4. Share the jobs. Write who does each job and by when. The person can say no to any row. A row left empty is fine. Job Who By when Done Write the final question list ____________ ____________ [ ] Confirm the appointment date and time ____________ ____________ [ ] Arrange the ride or the video link ____________ ____________ [ ] Bring the question list to the visit ____________ ____________ [ ] Take notes during the visit (only if asked) ____________ ____________ [ ] Read a source or handout together afterward ____________ ____________ [ ] Send the follow-up question to the care team ____________ ____________ [ ] Look at this pack together again ____________ ____________ [ ] ______________________________ ____________ ____________ [ ] ______________________________ ____________ ____________ [ ] How we will remind each other (for example, a phone call or a note on the calendar): ________________________________________ --- 5. After the visit. Fill this page in together, soon after the visit, while it is fresh. The agreed next step, in the person's words: ________________________________________ Who does it, and by when: ________________________________________ One question that is still unclear: ________________________________________ How to reach the care team (the channel only, such as "patient portal" or "office phone line"): ____________________ Where the notes are kept - [ ] In the person's own notebook - [ ] On the person's own device - [ ] In the care team's patient portal - [ ] Somewhere else the person chose: ____________________ Who may see the notes (the person decides): ____________________ One learning step we can do together Pick one, or none. - [ ] Look up a word in the plain-language glossary: /glossary/ - [ ] Check where an article comes from with the Source Credibility Checklist: /resources/source-check/ - [ ] Prepare the next visit with the Care-Team Conversation Planner: /resources/care-team-planner/ A quick look back What worked about how we prepared together: ________________________________________ What we would change next time: ________________________________________ --- 6. Illustrative example. Illustrative example. The names and details below are invented for practice. This is not a real person's story. The example shows no results, medicines or readings on purpose. The agreement (page 1). Rosa invited her nephew, Daniel, to help with an upcoming visit. Rosa ticked three boxes: writing down questions, keeping track of the date and time, and the ride. Rosa decided that Daniel waits in the waiting room unless she asks him to come in. They agreed to look at the agreement again after the visit. The question list (page 2). Rosa chose these questions and their order. Daniel wrote them down. Priority Question, in Rosa's words Answer 1 "What does a word on my last visit summary mean?" Left empty until the visit 2 "Is there a free class or handout you would suggest?" Left empty until the visit 3 "How should I send a question after today?" Left empty until the visit Appointment day (page 3). The day before, Daniel confirmed the time and the ride. Rosa put the list in her bag. At the visit, Rosa asked her questions herself. The jobs (page 4). Job Who By when Done Write the final question list Rosa Wednesday [x] Confirm the appointment time Daniel Tuesday [x] Arrange the ride Daniel Tuesday [x] Send the follow-up question Rosa Next Monday [ ] After the visit (page 5). In Rosa's words, the agreed next step was "read the handout the team gave me and write down one question about it." The question still unclear was "How do I sign up for the class the team mentioned?" Rosa keeps her notes in her own notebook at home. She decided that only she and Daniel see them. Sources and editorial notes - MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine), Talking With Your Doctor, https://medlineplus.gov/talkingwithyourdoctor.html, retrieved October 19, 2026. Supports: making a list of questions, bringing a trusted friend or family member who could take notes, asking for written instructions, and asking how best to contact the doctor or provider later. - MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Patient portals - an online tool for your health, https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000880.htm, retrieved October 19, 2026. Supports: the patient portal as a care-team channel for messages, and that portals are not for urgent issues. - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Diabetes Management: It Takes a Team, https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/professionals/diabetes-discoveries-practice/national-diabetes-month-2022, retrieved October 19, 2026. Supports: people with diabetes are at the center of their own care team. This pack is for education and organization only. It does not give medical advice, and it does not assess symptoms or suggest treatment. Personal health decisions belong with the person and their care team. In an emergency, call 911 or your local emergency services. The worked example is illustrative. Not yet reviewed by a clinician. See the Editorial Policy at /editorial-policy/ and the Medical Disclaimer at /medical-disclaimer/. General education, not medical advice. Examples are fictional. Written with AI assistance; not yet reviewed by a clinician. Natural Diabetes Remedy, naturaldiabetesremedy.com. Version 1, October 2026.