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Define the problem

When everything feels like too much at once, the most useful first move isn't a solution — it's naming one problem in a single sentence. A tangled "everything is falling apart" becomes "I can't get Dad to his Thursday appointments," which is something you can actually act on.

This is the front of the problem-solving sequence used across caregiver interventions: name it, separate urgent from not-urgent, pick one goal, then choose the smallest safe next step. It is not therapy and not advice — it's a way to make an overwhelming day legible enough to move on.

Runtime shape

Use this strategy when the caregiver's message has too many moving pieces to pick a grounded next step. The runtime flow should:

  1. Ask for one-sentence problem naming.
  2. Check whether anything is urgent or unsafe.
  3. Convert the named problem into one near-term goal.
  4. Offer one smallest safe action or use a tool for a grounded resource.

The output should keep the caregiver's load low. If the problem is already clear, skip this strategy and move directly to the relevant benefit, resource, wiki, or follow-up action.