For almost twenty years, the Southwestern Connecticut Agency on Aging (SWCAA) had used a simple Access database to manage care plans for thousands of older adults opting to remain in the community as an alternative to nursing home care.  Thanks to the support of the Nonprofit Grant Program, SWCAA was able to develop a new database and care plan structure to improve the quality and the efficiency of the services provided to the Connecticut Home Care Program participants.  The new data structure allows for care plans, service authorizations and care notes to be housed in one location.  This gives the Care Managers a 360 degree view of the participant and the services with one click access to healthcare professionals, caregivers and family supports.  Eliminating some of the administrative burden to the care management staff results in more time spent helping participants meet their goals.

A secondary benefit is the structure of the data which allows SWCAA to be more responsive to requests for specific data elements.  This helps the Agency and the State analyze the performance indicators of this Program and quantify the cost savings to the State as participants forego premature institutional care.  This project could not have been completed without the support of the Nonprofit Grant Program.