# Managing elderly parents' medical records

> Doctano turns the lab reports you already have into one private, source-linked health timeline, with an AI that answers from your own results.

Caring for a parent's records is a job with three parts: consent, one record per person, and a short brief for every appointment.

This is the Markdown version of https://doctano.com/guides/lab-records-for-parents. The HTML page is the canonical version.

Keep one record per parent, with every report, its date, the lab, and the reference ranges, and share access only with the people who need it. Get their consent, note who uploaded what, and carry a one-page summary to appointments. Doctano keeps each person's timeline separate.

Most caregiver record problems are not technical. They are about who is allowed to see what, and which of several folders is current.

## Start with consent

Ask your parent what they want shared, with whom, and for what. A parent who can make their own decisions should make them, including the decision to share a profile. If they cannot, follow local rules and ask the treating clinician who may act for them. Doctano does not decide capacity or consent.

## One record per person

Never keep two parents in one folder or one profile. Values become ambiguous, reports get uploaded to the wrong timeline, and a question about one person takes twice as long to answer. Create a separate profile for each parent, with the correct name and date of birth.

## What to collect

- Lab reports, with the collection date and the lab.
- The current medicine list, including doses and who prescribed each one.
- Allergies and reactions.
- Conditions, surgeries, and hospital admissions.
- Doctors and specialists, with contact details.
- Insurance policy details and the claim helpline.
- Emergency contacts and any advance care documents.

## Who uploaded what

When several people help, keep a simple log: date, report, who added it, and where the original is. Before uploading, check the selected profile and the patient's name on the report. Doctano may warn when the name on a report does not appear to match the profile; read the warning rather than clicking past it.

## Sharing with family

In Doctano, open Account, then Manage profiles, and use the share button beside a profile. Enter the email address of an existing Doctano account. Sharing does not create an account or send an invitation email, so tell the person yourself. People with access can view and add reports and health data for that profile. Remove access from the same screen when it is no longer needed.

## What to bring to appointments

One page: the current medicines, allergies, conditions, the latest report, and the questions for this visit. Add the date of the last change to any medicine. A clinician can read one page in a minute and spend the rest of the appointment on the problem.

| Record | Why it matters | Where to keep it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lab reports | The values and the ranges behind them | A folder per person, or a private profile |
| Medicine list | Explains results a medicine can affect | Updated copy in the folder and the bag |
| Allergies | Needed in an emergency and before a prescription | Front of the folder |
| Conditions and surgeries | Context for every new result | A one-page summary |
| Doctors | Who ordered which test | Contact list |
| Insurance | Claims and pre-authorisation | Policy folder, with the helpline |

## In an emergency

Keep a printed card with conditions, medicines, allergies, and an emergency contact. Doctano is not an emergency service, and a record is not a substitute for calling local emergency services.

## Privacy and dignity

A parent's health record is theirs. Share only what they agree to share, remove access when a helper stops helping, and do not post a report in a family group chat. The safer pattern is a private profile with named access.

## Caregiver questions

**How do I manage my parents' lab reports?**

Keep one record per parent with every report, date, lab, and range. Get their consent, share access only with the people who need it, and carry a one-page summary to appointments.

**Can I upload my parent's reports to Doctano?**

You can, if you have the right and any required consent to handle their information. Create a separate profile for them, check the name and date of birth, and upload to that profile.

**Who can see my parent's profile?**

Only the account that owns it and the people the owner explicitly shares it with. There are no public profiles or public report pages, and access can be removed.

**What should I bring to my parent's appointment?**

The medicine list, allergies, conditions, the latest reports, and your questions. A one-page summary is easier for the clinician to use than a folder.

**What if my parent cannot give consent?**

Follow local rules and ask the treating clinician who may act for them. Doctano does not decide capacity, consent, or who is allowed to manage another person's records.

## Limits

**A caregiver record is not a diagnosis.** It organizes information for the people who provide care. Check important values against the original report, and call emergency services for an emergency.

## Links

- [Homepage](https://doctano.com/)
- [Lab report tracker](https://doctano.com/lab-report-tracker)
- [Family health records](https://doctano.com/guides/family-health-records)
- [Organize your reports](https://doctano.com/guides/organize-lab-reports)
- [Is it safe to upload lab reports?](https://doctano.com/guides/is-it-safe-to-upload-lab-reports)
- [Questions for your doctor](https://doctano.com/guides/prepare-for-doctor-visit)
- [All guides](https://doctano.com/guides/)