Christmas IS coming. As I write this, it’s late September and I’m telling myself I should start a list of ideas for Christmas gifts for my family and friends.

Meanwhile, my parents are in their late 70s, their health is declining and my sister and I have stepped up our visits and questions and overall concern for them. We’re also getting more involved in their care and, as they tell me of their numerous visits to doctors and clinics (“Our new hobby,” my mother quips), I’ve come to the decision I need to get all the names of all their care providers, all the drugs they are taking and their dosing schedule. In other words, I should start a Personal Health Record for both of them.

Each time they visit a doctor, I can update the online PHR I create for them. I can then keep this for myself, of course, but I could also print it out regularly and mail it to my sister and to them. That way, everyone will be up to date. Everyone will know the last time my mother went to her dermatologist, my father’s last dental check up and his visits to his neurologist. And it will be in a form neat and tidy, legible and organized.

This truly would be a great gift for all of us. Yes, it’s not shiny nor is it cuddly. It doesn’t tell time, play a favorite movie on DVD or keep feet warm at night in slippers made of fleece.

But it would give all of us peace of mind. My parents live near San Diego, California . My sister lives in Arizona and while I now live two hours away from my parents via a crowded freeway, my husband and I are moving to Pennsylvania soon. It’s already hard to keep track of all their appointments and physicians, not to mention their drug therapies.

While I could print out a copy for my parents – neither of them is computer-savvy – I could give my sister access to the online personal health record I create and update. She also could update information. When my sister and I chat on the phone, we could access the records online as we speak to look them over and discuss as needed.

I’m going to start doing this very soon – creating personal health records for my mother and father – and will post here as I do so to let you know of the challenges and opportunities inherent in creating PHRs for elderly family members.