Orientation Board: What to Put on a "Today Is" Board

Short answer: What should go on a Today Is orientation board?

Keep a few large-print fields: day, date, weather, season, place, and today's visitors or activity. Optional: a simple morning/afternoon/evening routine and a weekly who-is-coming strip. Update it each morning. It is an orientation aid, not medical treatment.

Sources: Alzheimer's Association: Communication and Alzheimer's; MedlinePlus: Alzheimer's caregivers. Sources checked 2026-10-16.

A "Today Is" board is a calm, large-print place to answer the day's basic questions: What day is it? What's the weather? Who might visit? What's the rough shape of morning, afternoon, and evening? Families and care settings use boards like this as an orientation and organization aid, not as treatment.

This page is general information. It is not medical advice. A board does not diagnose or treat dementia. Follow the care team's guidance for the person you support.

Why keep it simple

Too many fields turn the board into clutter. Aim for a few large lines someone can read from a chair across the room. High contrast (dark text on a light background) and a consistent layout matter more than decoration.

The Alzheimer's Association notes that written notes can help when spoken words seem confusing, and that clear, step-by-step information is easier than long requests. A board is one form of that written cue.

Core fields most boards need

Field	What to write	Tip
Day of the week	Monday, Tuesday, …	Use the same words every week; cutouts or magnets reduce rewriting
Date	Month and day (year optional)	Update each morning as part of a short routine
Weather	Sunny, cloudy, rain, snow, windy	Match the actual day; a few icon cards are enough
Season	Spring, summer, fall, winter	Change rarely; still useful for conversation
Place	Home, or the name of the community	Helps when someone asks "where am I?"
Visitors / activity	Names or "quiet afternoon at home"	Honesty beats a packed calendar that won't happen
Routine (optional)	Morning · afternoon · evening	Write plain plans (breakfast, rest, dinner), not medical schedules

Optional extras that stay useful

Weekly "who is coming" strip — one line per day for expected visitors
Month calendar — large print, for appointments you also keep in a phone or binder
Choice board — two options for an activity when open questions feel hard

Skip fields that change by the hour (exact medication times, vitals, staff codes). Those belong with the care plan, not on a living-room board.

Where to put it and how to update it

Hang it at eye level in a place the person already looks — near a favorite chair or the kitchen table.
Update it at the same time each morning (with coffee, after breakfast).
Involve the person when you can: let them place the weather card or say the day aloud.
If something on the board is wrong, fix it calmly; don't turn it into a quiz.

Print and laminate tips

Print large. Letter size works; tabloid or A3 is easier to read from farther away.
Laminate (or use a dry-erase pocket) so you can rewrite the date and visitors with a dry-erase marker.
Keep spare markers and a cloth with the board.
Photograph the blank layout once so you can reprint if a page wears out.

What a board is not

Not a medical device or therapy plan
Not a substitute for in-person reassurance
Not a place for passwords, account numbers, or private medical details
Not a test of whether someone "knows what day it is"

MedlinePlus describes caregiving as including company, daily tasks, and arranging care — with a reminder to get help when you need it. A board supports the day; people still do the caring.

If you'd like ready-to-print boards

We publish Today Is Orientation Boards — laminate-ready day board, weather cards, visitor calendar, routine board, and a blank month calendar — on Gumroad for $3.99 (personal / household). Orientation aid only; not a medical product.

General information for families and care settings. Not medical advice. Does not diagnose or treat dementia. Not therapist-designed. Follow the care team's guidance.

Updated 2026-10-16.