ReddiNet provides long-term care (LTC) facilities with tools to communicate with healthcare partners, respond to information requests, report operating conditions, and maintain bed availability and patient census information.
This article introduces the main ReddiNet functions used by LTC facilities and explains how to get started with everyday reporting and emergency communication.
For a visual walkthrough of these features, refer to the ReddiNet for LTCs training video in the ReddiNet Help and Support knowledge base.
1. Understanding Training and Live Environments
ReddiNet provides separate Training and Live environments.
Although the interfaces provide similar functionality, they serve different purposes.
Training Environment
The Training environment allows users to practice ReddiNet functions without affecting live facility information.
In the LTC training video, the Training environment is identified by its gold-colored interface.
Staff can use Training to become familiar with tasks such as answering assessments, updating service levels, sending messages, and entering bed capacity information.
Live Environment
The Live environment is used for actual operational reporting and communication.
In the LTC training video, the Live environment is identified by its red-colored interface.
Information entered into Live is intended for real-world coordination with participating facilities and agencies.
Important: Practice in Training before performing unfamiliar tasks in Live. Actions completed in Training do not affect live facilities or their operational information. Always verify which environment you are using before submitting information.
2. Signing In to ReddiNet
Users can access ReddiNet through www.reddinet.net.
From the login page, select the appropriate ReddiNet application or environment and sign in using the assigned credentials.
Individual and Shared Accounts
The LTC training explains an important difference between Training and Live accounts.
- Live: Individual usernames are recommended so activity can be associated with the person performing it.
- Training: Shared or generic training accounts may be used for practicing workflows.
Using individual accounts in Live helps maintain accountability for submitted information and operational updates.
Before Beginning
Make sure you can sign in successfully and identify the environment you are using.
If you do not have an account or need help with access, contact your facility's ReddiNet administrator or ReddiNet Support.
3. Responding to Assessments
Assessments are an important part of ReddiNet communication with long-term care facilities.
Authorized county authorities can send assessment polls to facilities requesting information about their current conditions, resources, or other operational needs.
In the LTC workflow demonstrated in the training video, the Assessment module is normally the initial working area after signing in.
Finding an Assessment
Recent assessments appear near the top of the Assessment area, allowing users to identify information requests that may require attention.
When a poll is received, open the assessment and review the questions.
Submitting Your Answers
Assessment questions vary depending on what the requesting authority needs to know.
When responding:
- Review the requested information.
- Answer the questions using the best available facility information.
- Complete any required fields.
- Submit your responses.
If some information is not immediately available, provide the answers you can and return to update them later when the assessment permits it.
Updating Previous Answers
ReddiNet allows users to return to an assessment and use Update Answers to revise information that has already been submitted.
This is useful when facility conditions change or additional details become available after the original response.
Assessment reminder: Respond promptly to information requests and keep responses accurate. If updated information becomes available, use the assessment's update function rather than leaving outdated information in place.
4. Updating Facility Service Levels
Service Levels provide information about a facility's reported operating condition and ability to provide services.
These reports help county authorities and other participating organizations understand current conditions across multiple facilities.
Reviewing Your Current Service Level
Service-level information is available through ReddiNet's Assessment functions.
Users can select the applicable long-term care facility type and locate their facility's current service level.
Changing Your Service Level
When the facility's operating condition changes, authorized users can select the update function and choose the appropriate new service level.
After submitting the update, the new information becomes available through ReddiNet's service-level reporting workflow.
Service Levels can be updated again if facility conditions change.
Service Level Polls
County authorities can also request updated service-level information from participating facilities.
When your facility receives a service-level poll, review your current operating condition and provide the appropriate update.
Important distinction: Facility Service Level reporting is different from hospital emergency department alert levels and diversions. LTC users should use the applicable Service Level workflow to report broader facility operating conditions.
5. Communicating Through Messages
ReddiNet's Messages module allows long-term care facilities to communicate with other participating organizations and ReddiNet users.
Messages can help facilities exchange information during routine coordination, emergency preparedness activities, and incidents requiring communication with other facilities.
Selecting Message Recipients
The messaging interface provides several recipient-selection options, including:
- Selecting participating facilities from a list.
- Searching for specific facilities.
- Selecting recipients by facility type.
- Using predefined Response Groups.
- Selecting individual contacts through available contact information.
Before sending, review the recipient selection to confirm that the message is directed to the intended people or facilities.
Composing and Sending Messages
Users can enter a message and send it to the selected recipients.
The messaging interface also supports saving a message as a draft when it is not ready to send.
Understanding Message Read Status
ReddiNet provides information about whether a sent message has been read.
In the training video:
- Blue indicators: A message has been read.
- Gray indicators: A message has not yet been read.
The message's To information can also provide additional read details, including the time the message was read and the username associated with the activity.
This information helps users review message activity after sending an important communication.
Using Message Templates
ReddiNet supports message templates for communications that may need to be sent repeatedly.
Users can prepare reusable content and save it as a template.
When ready to send a template, open the Templates folder, select the appropriate template, review its information, and send it.
Template reminder: Saving a message as a template does not send it. Templates must be selected and sent separately. Always review the content and intended recipients before sending.
6. Reporting Long-Term Care Bed Availability
ReddiNet's Bed Capacity module includes specific reporting sections for long-term care facilities.
The two primary LTC reporting categories are LTC Bed Availability and LTC Patient Census.
LTC Bed Availability
LTC Bed Availability records the number of beds currently available to receive patients.
The reporting interface includes short-term and long-term bed categories.
Additional categories include:
- Secured Unit
- Isolation
- Ventilators
According to the Bed Capacity User Guide, the overall available-bed total is calculated from short-term and long-term beds. The additional categories are not added separately to that total.
Updating Available Beds
To update LTC Bed Availability, users select the appropriate reporting section, choose Update, enter the current values, and submit the information.
Capacity information should reflect the facility's current availability.
7. Reporting LTC Patient Census
LTC Patient Census is a separate reporting category that records occupied beds rather than available beds.
This information helps participating agencies understand how many beds are currently occupied within the facility.
Updating Patient Census
Users select LTC Patient Census, open the update function, enter the current occupied bed counts, and submit the information.
The documented census workflow uses short-term and long-term categories, with additional secured-unit, isolation, and ventilator information.
As with availability reporting, the overall census total is calculated from the applicable short-term and long-term counts.
Reporting reminder: LTC Bed Availability and LTC Patient Census are not interchangeable. Availability records beds that can receive patients, while Census records beds that are occupied. Confirm the selected reporting section before entering information.
Viewing Other Facility Capacity Information
The Bed Capacity interface can also display hospital capacity information and reports from participating facilities in other counties.
Hospital reporting categories, such as HAvBED and Hospital Patient Census, are separate from the LTC-specific reporting sections.
For a broader explanation of the reporting categories, visit the Bed Capacity Help Topic.
8. Using ReddiNet Mobile
ReddiNet also provides mobile access to supported communication and reporting workflows.
For long-term care facilities, the mobile training library includes demonstrations of:
- Responding to assessments.
- Reviewing and updating facility service levels.
- Sending and receiving messages.
- Updating LTC Bed Availability.
- Updating LTC Patient Census.
The mobile interface organizes these functions for smaller screens, so the navigation may look different from the standard desktop interface.
For LTC-specific bed reporting instructions on mobile devices, visit ReddiNet Mobile — Bed Capacity.
Additional mobile instructions are available under Assessment and Messages.
9. Recommended Getting-Started Checklist
New LTC users can use the following checklist to become familiar with the essential ReddiNet workflows.
- Access ReddiNet: Confirm that you can sign in and select the appropriate environment.
- Practice in Training: Become familiar with the main modules before performing unfamiliar actions in Live.
- Review Assessments: Locate recent polls and practice answering and updating assessment responses.
- Review Service Levels: Understand how to find and update your facility's operating condition.
- Practice Messaging: Become familiar with recipient selection, message composition, read indicators, and templates.
- Review Bed Availability: Learn where to enter your facility's available LTC beds.
- Review Patient Census: Learn where to enter occupied bed counts.
- Locate Training Materials: Know where to find the ReddiNet Help and Support resources when assistance is needed.
These activities provide a practical introduction to the functions demonstrated in the ReddiNet for LTCs training video.
Additional Training and Assistance
Visit ReddiNet for LTCs to watch the comprehensive LTC training video.
For more detailed instructions, browse the User Guides and Training Videos available through ReddiNet Help and Support.
For additional assistance or training, contact ReddiNet Support at support@reddinet.net or (800) 440-7808.