New machines
For all practical purposes, the modern computer has more than enough power and capacity in all departments to run ProCARE. The only worthwhile addition to an "off-the-shelf" machine is an extra parallel port (LPT2).
Software overload is now more of a problem than in previous years. A "basic office machine" rather than a "high end games machine" is recommended. Buyers should be aware that all computers are no longer the same, they are becoming specialised (see Technical Notes below).
Older machines
The following "Entry Level" specifications apply. -
Computer IBM PC compatible 80486 processor or better.
1 Mbyte RAM minimum
Floppy disk drive 5.25" HD 1.2MB or 3.5" HD 1.44MB
(3.5" recommended)
Hard Disk Capacity. ProCARE occupies approx. 3MB.
Keyboard Enhanced Type 101
Modem 14400 or better
Monitor VGA
2x Parallel ports LPT1 & LPT2 (LPT2 optional but an advantage)
1x Serial port (COM1)
EnvironmentProCARE is DOS based. It will operate in a DOS 5.00 or later environment, Windows 3.1 & 3.11 and Windows 95/98 & NT.
The over-riding considerations are now external factors.
ProCARE creates IR-File for the NZ IRD. The IRD require you to use Windows 95/98 to support their software.
ProCARE creates Creditor Batch files and Wages Batch files for transmission to Banks. Most Bank software is Windows 95/98 based.
ProCARE Support is Internet based, usually (but not exclusively) using Windows 95/98 based Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator/Communicator.
Microsoft makes no reassuring noises about the y2k compliancy of Windows 3.x
Windows 95/98 is therefore your current mandatory platform (we may have a wider choice in 2 year's time).
Printers
Printer 1. Dot Matrix 9pin or 24pin tractor fed Semi AutoLoad
(update versions of EPSON LX-860, PANASONIC KX-P1180 or equiv.)
Printer 2. Dot Matrix 9 pin Manual Load
(update versions of PANASONIC KX-P1081 or equiv.)
Printer Notes
ProCARE uses the primary printer (1) for all reporting on 11" tractor fed standard white fanfold paper.
The Debtors Invoice & Statement functions use tractor fed REDIFORM Ref. 214/1AL and REDIFORM Ref.201/1AL respectively.
The secondary printer (2) is dedicated to Pay Advices. ProCARE automatically switches printer output to LPT2 during Pay Advice printing.
Pay Advice forms are tractor fed REDIFORM Ref. 160/EMS or WICKCLIFFE Form 101 or I.B.F. Ref 1050 Ver. A.
Two printers have been found to be especially convenient as Pay Advices are a different width to fanfold paper. This eliminates weekly re-adjustment and reloading of a single printer.
ProCARE will use a single printer for all purposes if so instructed in the Setup.
Laser printers and inkjet printers are not suitable for ProCARE in that they rarely support tractor fed stationery . A laser or inkjet may be used for reporting purposes using A4 paper provided that it supports EPSON FX or MX emulation (examples - Panasonic KX-P4430 Laser & Epson 820 Stylus inkjet).
If a high quality printer is required for other word processing or CAD type applications, then a Data Transfer Switch on LPT1 to share with the primary dot matrix is the most practical solution.
Frequently Asked Question
Will one laser or inkjet printer fulfil all requirements of the ProCARE system ?
The short answer is no, not in our experience. If there was such an animal as a laser or inkjet printer with optional tractor feed (for pay advices etc.) made by Epson (to ensure compatibility without emulation problems), then this would cover all aspects of ProCARE operation.
There is a multitude of brand names out there, all having their own idiosycrasies which unfortunately do not get found out until you buy and try. The Sales personnel at hardware establishments are more used to assuming that the multi-megabytes worth of drivers in Windows are going to solve all problems. Regrettably, this is not the case as, although ProCARE will operate in a Windows environment, it is not Windows based. It does not rely on the performance of any Windows components and will run equally as well off the DOS prompt after Windows has crashed.
However, if you have a Dot Matrix on LPT2 to handle Pay Advices and providing you do not intend to use the ProCARE Invoicing & Statement functions (issued to your debtors - tractor fed forms on LPT1), then a laser or injet printer would cover all remaining aspects of the ProCARE operation - provided that it was capable of Epson emulation.
Examples are: Panasonic KX-P4430 (Laserjet III), Epson Stylus 820 inkjet, Epson Stylus Color 640.
Different printer manufacturers use different "escape codes". An escape code character is an instruction from the computer to the printer to perform a certain task e.g. linefeed, carriage return, set to draft print/NLQ print/compressed print etc. A particular set of "escape codes" is akin to a language. If a printer doesn't understand the language, rubbish happens. The trick is to make the printer pretend that it is the type of printer that the language was intended for. This is "emulation".
The other way around the problem is the Windows method - to have the computer supply the correct language to suit whatever printer is in use. Windows based programs have the advantage of the choice of over 50 printers, catering for the raft of laser and inkjet printers out there which cater for the high quality requirements of Computer Assisted Drawing programs and Word processing.
ProCARE has different requirements, fast report printing in draft or compressed multicolumn modes. All the things a Dot Matrix is good at. The ProCARE drivers therefore handle Epson, IBM G.1 and G.2 which will cover most dot matrix printers known to mankind. If we wish to use anything other than a dot matrix, then we have to look for "emulation" - that the printer can pretend that it is something that it isn't.
In short, if a particular laser printer (or inkjet) will do this then we are in business, if it won't, we have to look further.
Technical
ProCARE is an MS-DOS Based program written in Quicksilver and using the PLink86+ Overlay Manager. The command file consists of a root file requiring 330K of coventional memory when loaded. In addition, there are twentyone internal overlay files which are called as required. The total conventional memory occupied with the largest overlay file loaded is approx. 410K. This is the required TPA (Transient Programming Area)
A major problem encountered with the high end games machines as sold in most retail outlets is that the high performance 'bells & whistles' enhancements need to be available at all times. This requires Terminate Stay Resident programs (TSRs) to be loaded in the conventional memory area, thus reducing the available TPA to a point at which ProCARE suffers memory problems..
ProCARE does not use 'Extended Memory' (usually referred to as 32MB, 64MB, or 128MB overhead RAM), TPA, however, can be augmented by up to 64K if Expanded Memory is enabled.
Windows 95 & 98 Memory Manager does not compensate for a lack of TPA.
ProCARE is most succesful in an 'Office' machine rather than a high end home 'Games' PC.
Why wouldn't ProCARE suit your operation?
There may be times when you should just walk away.
ProCARE is designed primarily for, either Owner operated Homes, or Homes where the Manager is responsible for all aspects of the administration.
ProCARE is highly integrated and heavily automated. Data has to be entered only once to be available to all functions (e.g. Resident detail, accounts, wages, statistics etc.) Functions pass data back and forth to other functions. It therefore works best when all functions are in use.
Some Homes have the different aspects of their administration spread over multiple locations. This can limit the information available to ProCARE to the point where it may no longer be a cost effective software solution.
An example of a situation which severely affects the operation of ProCARE. -
If the Home is responsible for Resident administration, Staff and wages, but all the accounting functions (credit & debit ledgers) are performed by a Head Office.
Resident Board accounts maintenance is completely automatic. ProCARE raises accounts, does automatic charge posting, disburses board receipts to individual accounts and maintains a suite of reports for instant recall. If Head Office does the accounting, then there are no Board Receipts available to ProCARE to disburse to individual accounts at the Monthly Balance & Rollover (there won't even be a Monthly Rollover).
The Head Office has to maintain Board accounts for which they require Resident data - which, in turn, is maintained and updated by the Home. After supplying Resident data to Head Office, ProCARE would require all the the data from the Head Office Board Receipts to be re-entered at the Home. This is all too hard.
The Resident Board Account function therefore cannot work in automatic mode.
Other Examples
If the Home maintains Staff records (hiring & firing, timesheets etc) but Head Office does the Wages.
Once again, an absence of information where it's needed. The automatic Holiday calculation and tracking won't work. The sick leave tracking won't work. People don't get paid because records of employments were not forwarded/late/forgotten.
If the Home responsibility includes Debtors & Creditors, but the Head Office also holds a chequebook to the Home trading account.
It's been tried!! The Home operator is never sure whether a variance in the Balance is due to a local mistake or unknown transactions/incorrect chequebutt/etc. from Head Office.
The diagnostic "Variance Help" can't help at all and the whole Monthly Balance becomes a lengthy frustrating exercise.
If the ProCARE computer is at Head Office instead of at the Home.
Some Head Offices are currently running ProCARE for multiple Homes in one computer.
Although not the ideal situation, this does work providing that a very strict system of information transfer is enforced.
Conclusions
If your Organisation is of the type which has split responsibilities, your conclusion must be that it would be adviseable to shop around first in search of a solution which minimises the adverse effects of splitting your administration functions.
Only if, either such a alternative is unavailable, or the available alternative is less cost effective than a handicapped ProCARE, should ProCARE be considered.
The only other solution is to modify the structure of your Organisation by moving complete administrative responsibility for any given Home to that Home.
The reporting available from ProCARE still enables a Head Office (or absentee owner) to maintain a very close watch on performance - from a global view right down to minutiae.
ProCARE Systems does not wish to discourage potential clients, however, we accept that we would have difficulty in providing reliable support for a ProCARE system which was working in an adminstrative environment for which it was not intended.
5 April 2002
As of this date, ProCARE is discontinued. We have experienced the "killer asteroid" - Windows XP, which runs on an NT based system (no DOS). This effectively rendered the DOS-based ProCARE obsolete.
The question was ... did I have the time and energy and ability (at aged 62) to do it all over again with a new programming language? ProCARE is one of the most complex DOS applications ever written.
Well, I tried, but it didn't work out. Besides, I would be obliged to support a brand new version for at least another five years - by which time I could be in a Rest Home myself.
So there you have it .... 1988-2002. ProCARE has had a very loyal following and thanks to all of you, but it's time for you to move on into the 21st century with a new generation of bright-eyed bushy-tailed young gurus.
Terry Coleman
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