What is I/DD Software?

Introduction

"I/DD" stands for "Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities." I/DD software is made specifically for this industry to organize and deliver home and community based services. The ultimate objective is for people with I/DD to live independently.

You could imagine a tool that not only helps Direct Service Professionals (DSPs) with their daily tasks but also makes sure that people with I/DD get the specialized help they need for Long Term Support and Services (LTSS), and with Day Habilitation (DayHab)..

The I/DD software does this by combining different features, like client tracking and documents, into a single platform that works well together.

This article explores the nature of I/DD software, the types of people who benefit from it, and how it stacks up against other management systems such as EHRs and CRMs. Not only that, but we'll also give perspective on future evolution of I/DD software for independent living.

What does I/DD Software do?

The best way to answer this question “What does I/DD Software do? Is in two parts. First there are some basic things that the software must do, and then there are the things that I/DD agencies will want it to do. Please let me explain:

Basic capabilities:

These are the “must do” feature of I/DD software:

• Client Roster: Maintain a roster of clients and their basic demographics. Note that the term “clients”is often used, but in some cases clients may be called participants, consumers or another similar termI/DD Software
• Service Provider Roster: Similarly, maintain a roster of Service providers. Note that in comparison to home care where workers are often called “caregivers.” I/DD workers are usually called “service providers” and a variety of acronyms are used like DSP (Direct Service Provider), DSW (Direct Service Worker) or other similar terms. The important distinction is that in home care for older people the job is generally to provide care (like making sure that the aging person receives nutrition, gets help with their bath or shower, and lives in a safe and clean environment. By contrast, disability services are to help the participant lead their best possible independent life in their home or community (which is why this type of services are often called “Home and Community Based Services [HCBS]). In addition to the service provider “rostering” function, the system should track things like completion of mandatory training and sometimes it’s important to document Service Provider registry IDs that may be assigned by the state or other body
• Scheduling: Schedule visits, sessions, and/or shifts. Note that disability services are delivered in multiple forms such as home care (where the common term is visits), day habilitation (day hab for short) where the person comes for sessions and the DSPs come for shifts, Group sessions (where multiple people receive services at once), facility days (such as in group homes), and other forms. The key here is that there are some “interventions” between service providers and participants that are provided and billed for and these need to be tracked.
• Work and Attendance Tracking: There needs to be a way to document attendance and or the completion of work. If, for example a participant doesn’t come to DayHab on a given day, you can’t bill for that day and the system should note why the participant didn’t attend. If the work is delivered in client’s homes, then EVV (Electronic visit Verification) will be required. This tracks attendance with “electronic proof” (like GPS) to verify that the visits were complete (thus preventing fraud).
• Billing and Payroll: When you have your clients, staff, “interventions” and work tracking in place, one of the great benefits is that the billing and payroll processes should become highly simplified. The information is captured in the system, so it should be capable at a minimum to summarize your hours (or units) for billing and payroll, and in a more advanced system it can also create claims and transfer the needed information to your payroll system. Although it’s not billing, per se, if you are required to comply with EVV (which most HCBS providers are), you need to make sure that your software can send the needed information to your EVV aggregator.

Differentiated Features (advanced capabilities):

The above functionality covers the basics, but there’s more. Again, unlike home care for older individuals where caregivers have checklists of tasks, I/DD service providers are helping participants improve their quality of life by developing and practicing the skills that will help them realize their goals. For this reason, disability services generally require a higher level of documentation including goals, independent living plans, activities, strategies and results. Thus an advanced I/DD solution will have capabilities to document and report upon the following.

• Individual Goals and attainment
• Independent Living Plans
• Authorizations
• Program Enrollment information
• Activity descriptions
• Strategies employed
• Progress Notes
• Goal attainment

Lastly, different programs require different documentation, and since many disability services are paid for by Medicaid there are different requirements or at least different formats required by different states.

But even when you find I/DD software with all the above capabilities, then there’s a question of how easy they are to use and how flexible they are. Here are three examples of ways that we’ve made the Ankota I/DD Software help in this regard:

• Solving the DayHab Dilemma: In DayHab centers, one staff member is working with multiple clients (sometimes even 5 or 6) and given the extensive individualized documentation required, we heard from more than one Day Hab center leader that the documentation requirement significantly impacted the support that the staff could provide to the clients. We partnered with an I/DD provider in New Jersey to solve this dilemma by allowing activity leaders to document the activity description and strategies for all the activity participants at once. Then the staff members working with individual clients can focus their writing about the unique services (like hand-over-hand support) that they provide.
• Tailored Work flow for Independent Living Programs: Centers for Independent Living (CILs) solve many different issues for their clients. In some cases it might be contracting for the addition of grab bars and handicap ramps so that an individual can better access their home, whereas in other cases they might need to work through 50 process steps to transition an individual from an institutional care center back into a private home. We partnered with a CIL leader in Georgia to connect our I/DD software to a configurable work management system called Asana, so that they could create specific and detailed workflows for all their activity but it still gets recorded in their Ankota system.
• FMS Application for Self-Direction: Numerous states are giving people experiencing disabilities more choice in the way that their services are delivered and who they’re delivered by. In this scenario (with names like Financial Management Services and Consumer Directed Services), there is a new role for fiscal intermediaries to oversee the budget spending and/or to oversee the work of a client’s chosen service provider, ensuring that they have the right training, background checks, and even insurance. We built the Ankota FMS application so that clients and their families can manage turn in their receipts, manage their budgets and confirm their service provider’s work hours.

Now that you have an understanding of I/DD software and its capabilities, let's explore who could benefit from its use.

Who Benefits from I/DD Software?

Organizations that are committed to serving persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities rely on I/DD software as a crucial tool. Some of these groups are home and community service providers, day rehabilitation programs, and groups that help people live on their own.

Here are the key beneficiaries:

Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) providers

It can be hard for HCBS providers and residential care centers to run their day-to-day businesses and make sure that each resident gets the care they need.

The I/DD software makes things easier by:

• • Keeping full records of each resident's background, preferences, and goals.
  • Documenting daily tasks, medications, and events in real-time.
  • Schedule events that will increase their participation.

Day Programs

The goal of day habilitation programs is to help people improve their skills and foster social interaction.

The I/DD software is very important to these programs because it helps with efficient program management by allowing flexible scheduling and keeping an eye on all the different events and sessions. It also automatically keeps track of who is present and how involved they are, making sure that records are correct and up to date.

Furthermore, the software helps in measuring outcomes by keeping track of progress toward individual goals and creating detailed records that can be looked over. These features let day programs give their members personalized, useful help and keep a close eye on their progress in a planned way.

Direct Service Professionals (DSPs)

Those providing direct patient care are known as direct service professionals or DSPs. The software gives you:

• • Real-Time Data Access: Providers can always see participant details and their schedules.
  • Saves Time: Reduces complexity in administrative duties so that DSPs may concentrate on providing care. For example, paper timesheets should be eliminated
  • Communication Tools: Makes it easier to talk to family and team members through private messages.

The goal of CILs and other groups that support independent living is to give people the tools they need to safely and effectively run their own lives.

These groups can get help from I/DD tools by:

• Individualized plans that spell out the help that each person needs.
• Providing instant access to important information is guaranteed by providers' ability to record real-time changes on smartphones or tablets.
• Automatically keeping track of time and place to meet safety standards

I/DD software gives administrators and service planners the tools they need to make their jobs easier by giving them a central place to manage client records, payments, and the logistics of the program. It makes sure that all regional, state, and federal rules are followed by making all the records that are needed to meet those rules.

The software also works well with salary and human resources systems, making it easier to handle everything and making operations run more smoothly.

With this all-around method, managers and care coordinators can focus on providing excellent care and services.

Families and Guardians

The peace of mind that comes from knowing that providers have effective tools to watch and control their loved one's well-being is very helpful for families of people with I/DD.

The software also improves openness by giving families access to care updates and success reports. This makes the relationship between families and care workers more open and honest. This access lets families stay up-to-date on their loved ones' care and stay involved in it, so they can be an active part of their support and well-being.

What Sets I/DD Software Apart from CRM and EHR Databases?

I/DD software is like Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Electronic Health Record (EHR) tools in some ways, but it is specially made to meet the needs of disability services.

CRM systems are made to handle contacts with customers, automated sales, and customer service. They focus on building relationships with customers and using customer data efficiently to improve business results.

On the other hand, EHR systems are based on digitally managing health-related data like a patient's medical history, diagnoses, medicines, treatment plans, and test results. This makes it easier for healthcare workers to share medical information and makes sure they follow the rules.

I/DD software, on the other hand, is made to meet the specific needs of organizations and service providers supporting people with intellectual and developmental challenges (I/DD). By having easy-to-use automation for scheduling, work tracking, payroll and billing, it frees up service providers so that they can focus on the independent living needs, goals, social needs, and economic needs. I/DD software manages all kinds of data, like personal care plans, skill development, goal tracking, behavioral tests, and social interactions.

This is different from CRMs and EHRs, which only keep track of sales leads and customer accounts. This all-around care management has tools for making personalized care and support plans, keeping track of progress in school and skill development, and combining social and behavioral treatments.

Additionally, I/DD software improves openness and family involvement by giving families and guardians access to real-time updates, progress reports, and the chance to help plan care. I/DD software is different from standard CRM and EHR systems because it includes full care management features that meet the many needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This makes it an essential tool for disability support.

Trends in I/DD Software for the Future

Below are a combination of what I expect and what I hope will be future trends and I/DD software:

Adding AI And Machine Learning To The System

We currently incorporate some of the “mainsteam” AI capabilities in our I/DD software such as Face Recognition for login and using machine learning algorithms for assigning the best service provider. We are working on additional AI capabilities such as signature fraud detection and suggested text phrases for service notes based on phrases previously used in the participant’s notes. We expect that more AI will become available in our product and in other I/DD software.

Continued Efforts to both improve and simplify documentation:

One of our proudest accomplishments in the development of our I/DD software has been the development of our DayHab documentation screens (see above). In this case, we took a novel idea from an I/DD agency owner and incorporated it into our software. My hope is that there will be more efforts made to streamline and improve the documentation process.

More participation of clients in decision making during their sessions

Person-centered active support is a technique that has been proven through evidence-based research and peer review to be an effective way to better engage clients in their services and to achieve better outcomes. This previous sentence is the very academic and medical way to say that this technique really works. I had the pleasure of learning about this approach from its primary researcher, Dr. Julie Beadle-Brown from the University of Kent in the UK. At the center of active support is the idea to deliver services in a way where the client participates often in decision-making, and they participate actively in the activity planning and execution. So one of my hopes is that I/DD software will evolve to allow more participant-involvement.

Move to mainstream

As I’ve shared numerous times, the key objective of disability services is to help participants live their best lives, doing the things that they love independently in their homes and communities. If we look at how the non-disabled peers of people experiencing disabilities use software, they communicate with their friends with messaging and picture sharing and they use dating apps. My hope is that I/DD software will increasingly help its participants to use mainstream software.

Conclusion

I/DD software is critical in helping to organize the work of service providers who assist over 3 million American’s that experience intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. We’re proud to be able to support this effort.

Ankota's mission is to enable the Heroes who keep older and disabled people living at home to focus on care because we take care of the tech. If you need software for home care, EVV, I/DD Services, Adult Day Care centers, or Caregiver Recruiting, please Contact Ankota.