Document and track incidents involving clients and staff with CareCade's incident management system. Create detailed records, assign follow-up actions, and maintain compliance documentation.

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Overview

Incidents are events that occur during service delivery that need to be documented, reviewed, or reported. CareCade helps you:

• Document incidents with detailed descriptions and attachments
• Categorize incidents by type and severity
• Track investigation status and follow-up actions
• Generate reports for compliance and quality improvement

Accessing Incident Management

Navigate to Incidents from the main navigation menu. You'll see a dashboard showing:

• Recent incidents requiring attention
• Incidents by status (Open, Under Review, Resolved, Closed)
• Quick filters by type, severity, and date range

Creating an Incident Report

From the Dashboard

1. Click + New Incident in the top right
2. Select the Incident Type:
   • Behavioral Incident
   • Health/Medical Emergency
   • Property Damage
   • Fall/Injury
   • Medication Error
   • Missing Person
   • Abuse/Neglect (Suspected)
   • Other
3. Set the Severity Level:
   • Low - Minor incident, no injury
   • Medium - Moderate concern, may need follow-up
   • High - Serious incident, immediate action required
   • Critical - Emergency requiring immediate escalation

Required Information

Complete the incident details:

• Date and Time - When the incident occurred
• Location - Where it happened (client home, community, facility)
• Client - Which client was involved
• Staff Present - Who was on duty
• Description - Detailed narrative of what happened
• Immediate Actions Taken - What was done at the time
• Witnesses - Anyone who observed the incident

Attaching Evidence

You can attach supporting documentation:

• Photos (injuries, property damage, scene)
• Audio recordings (with consent)
• Scanned documents
• Related appointment notes

Click Save as Draft to continue later, or Submit to begin the review process.

Incident Workflow

Status Progression

1. Draft - Still being written, not yet submitted
2. Submitted - Ready for review
3. Under Review - Being investigated
4. Pending Action - Follow-up required
5. Resolved - Actions completed
6. Closed - Fully documented and archived

Assigning Reviewers

As an admin, you can assign incidents to specific team members:

1. Open the incident
2. Click Assign Reviewer
3. Select the staff member
4. Add any review instructions
5. Click Assign

The assigned person receives a notification and the incident appears in their task list.

Investigation and Follow-Up

Adding Investigation Notes

Document your investigation findings:

1. Open the incident
2. Go to the Investigation tab
3. Click Add Note
4. Enter your findings
5. Attach any additional evidence
6. Save

Creating Action Items

Track required follow-up actions:

1. Go to the Action Items tab
2. Click Add Action
3. Describe the action needed
4. Assign to a team member
5. Set a due date
6. Save

Action items can be marked complete as they're finished.

Mandatory Reporting

Some incidents require external reporting:

APS (Adult Protective Services)

For suspected abuse or neglect:

1. CareCade flags these incidents automatically
2. A banner shows "Mandatory Reporting Required"
3. Document that you've made the required report
4. Enter the report confirmation number
5. Attach any correspondence

State Agency Notification

For critical incidents:

1. Go to the Reporting tab
2. Select the agency to notify
3. Generate the required report format
4. Track submission status

Incident Reports

Generating Reports

Navigate to Incidents → Reports:

• Incident Summary - Overview for a date range
• By Type - Breakdown by incident category
• By Staff - Incidents involving specific staff
• By Client - Incidents involving specific clients
• Trend Analysis - Patterns over time

Exporting Data

Export incident data for:

• Compliance audits
• Quality improvement meetings
• Insurance purposes
• Legal documentation

Click Export and choose CSV, PDF, or Excel format.

Notifications

Configure who gets notified about incidents:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → Incidents
2. Set alerts for:
   • New incident submitted
   • High/Critical severity incidents
   • Incidents assigned to you
   • Action items due
   • Incidents involving specific clients

Best Practices

Documentation Tips

• Write descriptions in objective, factual language
• Include direct quotes when relevant
• Document the timeline precisely
• Note what was and wasn't witnessed directly
• Avoid speculation or judgment

Timely Reporting

• Document incidents as soon as possible
• Submit within 24 hours for most incidents
• Submit immediately for critical incidents
• Keep notes if you can't access the system right away

Follow-Up

• Complete action items by their due dates
• Document all conversations and attempts
• Update the incident status promptly
• Close incidents only when fully resolved

Related Articles

• Team Performance Reviews
• Warnings and Disciplinary Actions
• Client Documents