CappsDATA is an individualized human services planning and delivery tool created to access and manage huge amounts of information by and for many individuals.

CappsDATA grew out of the needs and interests of the people involved in residential care of vulnerable adults. Clients, who are dependent individuals, may thrive or wither depending upon the services they receive. Funding agencies demand services of full value for the investment. Health-care professional workers require reliable application of their care plans and accurate feedback on outcomes. Advocates want assurance of adequate care. Care providers need clear definition of what is expected of them. And families should be able to scrutinize quality of care for those whom they love and for whom they are responsible guardians.

The information required for all parties arises from the moment-to-moment activities of the direct-care workers who share the daily lives of dependent individuals. Specifically, the hundreds of daily acts that these workers make in pursuing their duties mark the difference between services that are satisfactory to all parties or to none.

The collection, management and dissemination of accurate, relevant information about direct-care performance has become the primary barrier to satisfactory delivery of individualized human services. The job is much too large for currently used hard-copy data collection and documentation methods. CappsDATA has grown out of these real and human concerns. By harnessing the power of computers, CappsDATA moves all of us dramatically closer to realizing the dream of high quality and cost-effective human services for those rendered vulnerable by illness, disability, or age.