Family care roster
Sharing the care of Mum or Dad, on one roster
When a parent needs someone most days, FairTurns helps brothers, sisters and helpers share the visits, the shopping and the drives to appointments, so everyone can see who’s going and when.
Free, with no limit on people or dates. No card.
It often falls to whoever lives closest
Care for an ageing parent rarely gets planned. It grows. First it’s a lift to the GP, then the weekly shop, then a visit most days to check the house is warm and the fridge has food in it. Usually one person, often the sibling who lives nearest, takes on more and more, while the others want to help but aren’t sure when they’re needed.
The family group chat fills with “Is anyone seeing Dad on Thursday?” and “I thought you were going.” It’s hard to say “I’m doing too much” without it sounding like blame, and hard for a brother three hours away to know where he can fit in.
A shared roster makes the load visible in a gentle way. Everyone sees the weeks ahead on one page, and the turns are counted, so nobody has to keep score in their head. A sister interstate can take the Sunday phone call, a neighbour can do Tuesday mornings, and the guide to sharing care of a parent has ideas for that first family conversation.
How a family shares the care
Each kind of help on its own
Add a team for each: morning visit, shopping run, drive to appointments, a Sunday phone call for whoever lives far away.
Regular days, set once
A visit every Monday, the shop every Wednesday, an afternoon every second Saturday. Repeating dates stay months ahead.
Shared by fewest turns
Fill gives each empty visit to whoever has had the fewest of that kind, and the turns chart shows each person’s count without anyone having to say it.
Fitted around real lives
Someone who doesn’t drive can be on the visits but not the appointments team. Nobody is given a job they aren’t set up for.
Neighbours and carers by name
Add a neighbour, a family friend or a paid carer by name only. They’re on the roster without an email or an account.
Away weeks respected
Anyone travelling marks the days they’re away and Fill leaves them off. You can set away days for helpers without an account too.
Set it up
- 01
Start the roster
Create an organisation, perhaps called “Caring for Dad”.
- 02
Name the kinds of help
Add a team for each, such as Morning visit, Shopping run and Appointments.
- 03
Bring the family in
Invite brothers and sisters by email, and add helpers by name.
- 04
Set the regular days
Click a day, set the times and choose how it repeats, adding one-off appointments as single dates.
- 05
Share it out gently
Press Fill, adjust anything by hand, then share the link and talk it over.
When you want it to run itself
Pro emails each person who has accepted an invitation a reminder before their day. If something comes up, they reply “I can’t make it” from the email, the next person in line is asked, and the team’s moderators get an email. You can also set the sibling who lives closest to More often for visits and the one far away to Now and then, so the roster reflects what each person can really give. A$12 a year for the family.
A$1 a month per organisation, paid 1 to 5 years at a time. See Pro and pricing
Good to know
- Begin with the help that already happens, then add what’s missing. A roster that starts from what’s true is easier to agree on.
- FairTurns is a roster, not a care plan or health record. Keep medical details out of it, including the names of dates.
- Family members don’t pick their own days; whoever runs the roster puts people on, and anyone can mark the days they’re away.
- Away days are whole days. If someone can only do mornings, put them on the morning visit team and not the afternoon one.
- Reminders are by email on Pro, for people who have accepted an invitation. There are no text messages.
Questions
Can the sibling who lives closest do more?
Yes. Put them on by hand whenever you like, or on Pro set them to More often for visits so Fill gives them more of those. A sibling further away can be set to Now and then.
How do we add a one-off appointment?
Click the day of the appointment, add it as a single date with its times, and put someone on it. Only that date is added; the regular days stay as they are.
Can Dad see who is coming?
Yes, if you would like him to. Share the public roster link and it opens on his phone or tablet without signing in, showing who is coming and when.
What if someone is sick on the day?
Change the names on that one date by hand. On Pro, they can reply that they can’t make it from the reminder email and the next person in line is asked.
What does it cost?
The roster is free, with no limit on people or dates. Pro adds reminders and replies for A$1 a month, paid a year or more at a time.
Free templates and guides
Sharing care of a parent
How brothers and sisters can share the visits, driving and paperwork for an ageing parent without falling out.
How often
Set each person to More often, Normal, Less often or Now and then, position by position. Pro.
People without email
Add people by name only. They’re rostered, printed and shown on the link like anyone else.
Similar rosters
Meal roster
Dinners for a family with a new baby, an illness or a loss, shared between friends on one page.
Household chores
The whole family’s chores on one shared roster, with whose turn it is on everyone’s phone.
School run and car-pool
Morning drop-offs and afternoon pick-ups shared between families, with today’s driver on every phone.