Getting Started with Firefly
For PPCC Staff — Training & Reference
This guide is written for PPCC staff to understand what families experience in Firefly, train families on how to use it, and test the app themselves. Everything assumes the family member is using Firefly on their phone, because that's how most parents will use it. Firefly works on a computer too, but it's designed for mobile.
April 2026
Firefly was built to help reduce the burden of care for LANTERN families by keeping medical information, care plan documents, and family resources in one place — on their phone, where they actually need it. At the doctor's office, on the couch after bedtime, in the ER at 2am.
This guide walks through everything Firefly does and how families will use it. Each section describes what the family member sees and how to complete key tasks — useful both for training families and for testing the app yourself as a member user.
The First 5 Minutes
Signing In
Purpose: Families sign into Firefly using just their email — no passwords to remember.
When a family member opens firefly.yourvillages.org in their phone's browser, they'll see the Firefly logo and a "Welcome back" screen.
- Type the email address (the one PPCC set up for the family member)
- Tap "Send Verification Code"
- Check email — a 6-digit code arrives
- Type the code in and tap "Verify & Sign In"
Outcome: The family member is signed in. No passwords to remember. Every time they sign in, they receive a fresh code by email.
Firefly will also sign the user out automatically after a period of inactivity — that's on purpose. It protects the child's medical information if the phone is ever lost or left somewhere.
Add Firefly to Your Home Screen
Purpose: Adding Firefly to the phone's home screen lets families open it like any other app — no need to type the web address each time. Walk families through these steps during onboarding.
iPhone — Safari
- Open firefly.yourvillages.org in Safari
- Tap the Share button (square with arrow) at the bottom of the screen
- Scroll down and tap "Add to Home Screen"
- Tap "Add" in the top-right corner
- Firefly now appears on the home screen
iPhone — Chrome
- Open firefly.yourvillages.org in Chrome
- Tap the Share button (square with arrow) at the top
- Tap "Add to Home Screen"
- Tap "Add" to confirm
Android — Chrome
- Open firefly.yourvillages.org in Chrome
- Tap the three dots menu in the top-right corner
- Tap "Add to Home screen"
- Tap "Add"
- Firefly now appears on the home screen
Android — Other Browsers (Firefox, Samsung Internet, etc.)
- Open firefly.yourvillages.org
- Tap the menu (usually three dots)
- Look for "Add to Home screen" or "Install"
- Confirm
Your First Look: The Fly with Firefly Tour
Purpose: A 1-minute walkthrough of Firefly's main features — runs automatically the first time a family member signs in.
The tour highlights the three things families will use most:
- Today's Check-in — a quick daily log of how the child is doing
- What's Happening Today? — a place to type in something that just happened (like "she had a seizure at 3pm") and Firefly files it automatically
- Your Family — where families see their children, family members, and their assigned PPCC navigator
How to Retake the Tour
- Tap the three lines in the top-left corner to open the menu
- Scroll to the bottom and tap "Set Up Your Firefly"
- Uncheck any completed items to reset them
- Tap "Retake this tour"
Your Home Screen
After the tour, the family member lands on the home screen (the member dashboard). This is where they start every time they open Firefly. Here's what's on it, from top to bottom:
The child's Emergency Card is right at the top. It shows allergies, rescue medications, and blood type — everything a paramedic or ER nurse needs to know, in big clear text. If the family has more than one child, they can switch between them with the picker at the top.
Below that, families will see:
- Today's Check-in — the daily care log (more on this below)
- "What's happening today?" — where the parent can type something quick and Firefly handles the rest
- Quick Actions — shortcuts to the four most-used areas: Resource Library, Chat, Caregiver Corner, and Notifications
- Care plan progress — which forms have been started and completed
- Family overview — the family's children, family members, and assigned PPCC navigator
A Day in Their Life
Families don't use Firefly feature-by-feature — they use it moment-by-moment. These scenarios show how Firefly fits into the situations PPCC families actually face, and which parts of the app connect together.
Morning Routine with Two Kids
A parent wakes up with two children who both have complex medical needs. Here's how Firefly fits into the first hour of the day.
- Open Firefly. The child picker at the top of the screen shows both children — tap the first child's name
- The daily check-in card shows yesterday's log. Meds were the same, no incidents overnight — tap "Same." Done in 5 seconds.
- Tap the second child's name in the picker. Their check-in shows yesterday's log too, but this child had a rough night. Tap "Edit", update the notes, tap Save.
- While giving the second child morning meds, the parent notices a new side effect — drowsiness. They tap the microphone on the "What's happening today?" box and say: "Liam seems really drowsy after his morning Keppra, more than usual." Firefly files it into the Medication Side Effects log.
What just happened: In under 2 minutes, both children's daily records are updated, and a medication concern is logged with a timestamp. When the parent calls the neurologist later, they can open the Medication Side Effects log and say exactly when it started.
In the ER at 2am
A child has a seizure. The parent calls 911. Paramedics arrive. Here's what the parent does with Firefly.
- Open Firefly. The Emergency Card is the first thing on screen — no scrolling, no logging in again (the session stays active).
- Hand the phone to the paramedic. They see: blood type, rescue medications with exact dosages ("Diastat 10mg — administer rectally for seizures > 3 minutes"), allergies with severity and action plans, and the emergency specialist with a tap-to-call number.
- At the ER, a nurse asks about insurance. The parent taps "All medications & insurance" on the Emergency Card — policy number, group number, and provider are right there.
- The ER doctor asks what medications the child is on. Still in the Health Profile, the parent scrolls to Current Medications — every medication, dosage, and prescribing doctor is listed.
- After the visit, back home, the parent taps the microphone: "Seizure at 1:45am, lasted 2 minutes, gave Diastat. ER visit at Children's, discharged at 4am." Firefly files it into the Seizure Log.
What just happened: The parent never had to explain the medical history from memory, dig for an insurance card, or try to remember medication names under stress. The ER got everything they needed from the phone screen. And the seizure is now documented with a timestamp for the neurologist's next review.
New Specialist Appointment
A child is seeing a new specialist for the first time. The parent wants to make sure the doctor has everything before they walk in.
- Open Firefly and go to Digital Care Plan
- Find the Health History form (if completed) and tap Share via Email — enter the specialist's email address
- Do the same for Current Medications and Emergency Information
- At the appointment, open Firefly to the Health Profile — the specialist can see diagnoses, surgeries, and allergy details on screen
- If the specialist changes a medication, update it right there: go to the Health Profile → Pharmacy section or the Current Medications log and tap + Add
What just happened: The specialist had context before the appointment even started. During the visit, the parent didn't have to repeat the history. After the visit, the medication change is logged immediately — not scribbled on a sticky note that gets lost.
School Needs Updated Paperwork
The school nurse emails: "We need updated medical forms for the new school year." Instead of printing, filling out, scanning, and emailing 5 separate forms, the parent uses Firefly.
- Open Digital Care Plan and make sure these forms are current:
- Emergency Information
- Current Medications
- Daily Care / Routine
- School/Daycare Schedule
- Medication Administration Record
- Tap Share via Email on each one and send to the school nurse's email
- The nurse receives professional PDF documents — not handwritten forms or blurry scans
What just happened: Paperwork that usually takes an evening of printing and filling out was handled in 5 minutes from the phone. And next year, the forms are already filled — the parent just updates what changed and re-sends.
Respite Caregiver Coming Over
A respite caregiver is watching the children for the evening. The parent needs to make sure they have everything they need.
- Add the respite caregiver as a family member (Dashboard → Family Support → "Add to my team") so they can access Firefly on their own phone
- Or, share key forms by email before they arrive:
- Daily Care / Routine — what the evening looks like
- Emergency Information — what to do if something happens
- Current Medications — what's due tonight and dosages
- Feeding Details — if the child has a G-tube or special feeding needs
- If the family has more than one child, use the child picker to switch and share forms for each child separately
What just happened: Instead of writing a 3-page note on the counter, the parent sent the respite caregiver professional documents with every detail they need. If the caregiver has their own Firefly access, they can see the Emergency Card on their phone in case of an emergency while the parent is away.
Monthly Check-In with the PPCC Navigator
The PPCC navigator schedules a regular check-in with the family. Here's what the parent can bring to that conversation — all from Firefly.
- Open the daily check-in history — shows a pattern of how the child has been doing day-by-day
- Open the Seizure Log or Pain Assessment — shows frequency and timing of incidents
- Check Digital Care Plan progress — see which forms are completed and which still need attention
- Use Chat before the meeting to message the navigator with any specific questions or concerns
- After the meeting, if the navigator recommends a new resource, check the Resource Library — it may already be there
What just happened: Instead of the navigator asking "how's everything been?" and the parent trying to remember, there's a data trail. Patterns are visible. Progress is measurable. The conversation can focus on what to do next, not what happened last.
Feature Reference
The sections below cover each Firefly feature in detail. Use these as a reference when families have questions about a specific part of the app.
In an Emergency
Purpose: Families can show emergency responders their child's critical medical info instantly.
- Open Firefly
- The Emergency Card is the first thing on screen — no scrolling needed
- Show the screen to the paramedic or ER nurse
- If they need more detail, tap "All medications & insurance"
The card shows:
- Allergies with severity and action plan — example: "Penicillin — Severe — Do not administer. Contact prescribing physician."
- Rescue medications with exact dosage and instructions, flagged with a bright "RESCUE" badge — example: "Diastat (diazepam) 10mg — Administer rectally for seizures lasting > 3 minutes"
- Blood type
- Emergency specialist with a tap-to-call phone number
If the family has more than one child, use the picker at the top of the screen to switch.
Tapping "All medications & insurance" opens the child's full Health Profile — everything from insurance policy numbers to diagnoses to pharmacy contacts. This is useful when the ER needs to verify insurance, look up a prescription, or call the child's specialist.
Quick-Logging Something That Just Happened
Purpose: Families can log care events by voice or text — just say or type what happened, and Firefly files it into the right care plan form automatically.
Option 1: Voice (hands-free)
When a parent's hands are full — holding their child, driving home from a doctor's appointment, or in the middle of a routine — they tap the microphone icon and just talk.
- Find "What's happening today?" on the home screen
- Tap the microphone icon (to the right of the text box)
- Say what happened in plain language — for example:
- "She had a seizure at 3pm, we gave her Diastat"
- "Gave rescue inhaler at school pickup"
- "He refused his afternoon meds"
- Firefly converts the voice to text — review it, then tap Send
- Done — it's filed automatically
Option 2: Type
- Tap the text box and type what happened
- Tap Send
Either way, Firefly may ask a follow-up question if it needs a little more detail. Otherwise, done.
What happens after sending
Firefly reads what the parent said or typed, figures out what kind of care event it is, and files it into the matching care plan form. Here are real examples:
| The parent says or types… | Firefly files it in… |
|---|---|
| "She had a 2-minute seizure at 3pm, we gave her Diastat" | Seizure Log — with time, duration, and medication given |
| "Gave rescue inhaler at school pickup" | Current Medications — logged as a rescue med administration |
| "He refused his afternoon meds" | Medication Administration Record — noted as missed dose |
| "She was in a lot of pain after therapy today" | Pain Assessment — with context from therapy |
| "Had a rough night, up 4 times, lots of coughing" | Respiratory Care or Sleep Profile — depending on details |
| "OT session went well, she's gripping objects now" | Therapy Log — with progress noted |
| "Changed G-tube dressing, site looks good" | Gastrostomy Tube Feeding — with care note |
| "Bowel movement at 2pm, normal" | Bowel Management — with time and description |
The entry goes into whichever child is selected at the top of the screen. If Firefly isn't sure which form fits, it will ask.
Where to find entries later
- Scroll to the Digital Care Plan section on the home screen
- Find the form that matches what was logged — for example, if a seizure was logged, open Seizure Log
- The entry is there — timestamped, with the details provided
Families don't need to check this every time. Firefly handles the filing. But if a doctor asks "when was her last seizure?" — the parent opens the Seizure Log, and every entry ever logged is there in order.
Your Daily Check-In
Purpose: A 30-second daily record of the child's routine — medications, how they're doing, anything notable.
First Time
- Tap the check-in card on the home screen
- Fill in today's routine — medications given, how the child is doing, anything notable
- Tap Save
Every Day After That
- The parent will see what was logged yesterday
- If nothing changed, tap "Same" — done in 30 seconds
- If something's different, tap "Edit" to update the details, then tap Save
Outcome: Each day's check-in is saved as a timestamped record. Over time, this builds a day-by-day log of the child's care — when medications were given, how they felt, what changed. When a doctor asks "how has she been doing this week?" or a school nurse needs to understand the pattern, the parent can show them the check-in history instead of trying to remember.
The check-in also feeds into the Daily Care / Routine form in the Digital Care Plan, so the information logged here helps keep the care plan up to date.
Filling Out Your Child's Care Forms
Purpose: Families complete all 39 PPCC care plan forms on their phone — save progress, pick up where they left off, and share completed forms with anyone who needs a copy.
How to get here: On the home screen, scroll to the Digital Care Plan section. Or open the menu → Children → tap the child to see their assigned forms.
What families will see:
- A picker at the top to choose which child (if the family has more than one)
- Needs Action — forms not yet started
- Completed — forms that have been finished
What kinds of forms are there?
There are 39 forms total, organized into three types:
Profile forms — fill these out once, update when things change:
- Emergency Information, Family/Guardian Information, Health History
- Daily Care / Routine, Sleep Profile, Mealtime Routine, Feeding Details
- Communication Methods, Likes & Dislikes, Bathing, Dressing, Dental Care, Skin Care
- Transportation, Child's Insurance, Moving Checklist
Logs — these grow over time as entries are added (newest first):
- Seizure Log, Pain Assessment, Therapy Log, Bowel Management, Respiratory Care
- Current Medications, Medication Side Effects, Hospitalizations, Procedures/Surgeries
- Growth Chart, Immunization Record, IFSP/IEP/ISP Notes
- Gastrostomy Tube Feeding, Palliative/Comfort Care Notes, Respite Care Log, Medical Supplies/Equipment
Schedules — weekly grids for recurring routines:
- Medication Administration Record, Home Schedule, School/Daycare Schedule, After School Center Schedule, Transportation Bags
Filling out a form
- Tap Start on any form
- Fill in the sections — answers save automatically, so the parent can leave and come back anytime
- Watch the progress bar to see how far along the form is
- When the form is complete, it moves to "Completed"
Sharing a completed form
Once a form is complete, families can send it to anyone who needs it:
- Tap Share via Email — send a copy to a doctor, school, therapist, or family member
- Tap Download PDF — save it to the phone to print or bring to an appointment
Example: A parent completes the Emergency Information form. Before the child's next ER visit, they tap Download PDF and have it ready on their phone. Or they email a copy of the Current Medications form to a new specialist before the first appointment — the doctor already knows what the child is on before they walk in the door.
The Medical Power of Attorney form includes Pennsylvania-specific pages for witness and notary signatures that can be downloaded and printed.
Your Child's Complete Medical Profile
Purpose: Keep the child's full medical history in one place — insurance, diagnoses, allergies, surgeries, pharmacy, and diet — so families never have to start from scratch with a new provider.
How to get here: Tap "All medications & insurance" on the Emergency Card, or open the menu → Children → tap the child to access their Health Profile.
The child's Health Profile has six sections. Here's what each one stores and why it matters:
| Section | What's entered | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance | Policy number, group number, provider, plan type | ER staff and specialists can verify coverage without the parent digging for the card |
| Diagnosis | Each diagnosis with date and provider who made it | New providers see the full picture — no repeating the child's history from scratch |
| Allergy | Allergen, reactions, severity, action plan | Marked as "emergency" = appears on the Emergency Card automatically |
| Surgery | Procedure, date, hospital, surgeon | Surgical history is always asked and always hard to remember — it's here once |
| Pharmacy | Pharmacy name, phone number, address | A doctor can call in a prescription while the family is still in the appointment |
| Diet & Nutrition | Dietary needs, restrictions, feeding method | Schools, respite caregivers, and new therapists need this on day one |
How to add or edit a record
- Find the right section and tap the + Add button next to it
- Fill in the details and tap Save
- To change something later, tap the pencil icon next to the record
- Make changes and tap Save Changes
Example: Adding an allergy
When adding an allergy, the parent fills in:
- Allergen — what they're allergic to (e.g., Penicillin)
- Reactions — what happens (e.g., hives, difficulty breathing)
- Severity — Mild, Moderate, or Severe
- Action Plan — what to do if exposed (e.g., "Administer EpiPen Jr immediately. Call 911.")
Each child has their own separate profile — switching children at the top switches everything.
Resource Library
Purpose: All the programs, services, and tools PPCC shares with families — in one place.
How to get here: Tap Resource Library from the Quick Actions on the home screen, or open the menu → Resource Library.
- Tap a folder to see what's inside
- Tap a resource to open it (links open in the browser, PDFs download to the phone)
- PPCC adds new resources over time — check back for new materials
| Folder | What's Inside |
|---|---|
| LANTERN Initiative Information | Program info and calendar of events |
| Digital Care Plan | Fillable care plan templates |
| Helpful Organizations & Websites | Support services PPCC recommends |
| Digital Tools & Downloads | Online toolkits and videos |
| Recommended Reading | Books and educational materials |
| Events | Upcoming activities and workshops |
Outcome: No more hunting through old emails or trying to remember what someone mentioned at a meeting. Everything PPCC shares lives here.
Chatting with PPCC
Purpose: Families can send and receive messages directly with their PPCC navigator and family members, right inside Firefly.
How to get here: Tap Chat from the Quick Actions on the home screen, or open the menu (three lines, top left) and tap Chat.
- Tap New
- Choose Private for a one-on-one message with their navigator
- Pick the person and type the message
- Tap Send
Family group chat: Families can also create a family chat that includes everyone in the household — tap New and choose Family Chat. Family members are added automatically. There's only one family chat per family, so if one already exists, Firefly goes straight to it.
A green "Connected" badge appears at the top when messaging is active. New messages show up as badges on the Chat icon so the user knows when someone's replied.
Outcome: Messages are saved in Firefly — no searching through email or text threads.
When Families Are Ready
These features are available whenever families are ready. No rush.
Caregiver Corner
Purpose: A space for LANTERN parents to connect with each other — ask questions, share what's working, and learn from each other.
How to get here: Open the menu (three lines, top left) → tap Caregiver Corner.
- Browse the list of "Corners" (discussion groups)
- Tap into any Corner to read posts
- Tap a post to read replies
- Tap Reply to respond, or tap "+ New Post" to start a discussion
Current Corners include:
- Hope Grows: Wednesday Meeting — virtual support group
- Waiver 101 — understanding waivers and ODP services
- The Parent Behind the Patient — healthcare advocacy
Outcome: Everything is monitored by PPCC for safety. New Corners may be added over time.
Adding Family Members
Purpose: Families can add other caregivers (spouse, grandparent, etc.) so they can access the child's info and join the family chat.
How to get here: On the home screen, scroll to the Family Support section → tap "Add to my team".
- Enter their name
- Enter their email address
- Choose their relationship to the child (Mom, Dad, Grandma, etc.)
- Tap Save
Outcome: The new family member receives an email invite to join Firefly. Once they sign in, they appear in the family group chat automatically. This also helps medical providers understand who's who.
Finding Your Way Around
Anywhere in Firefly, tapping the three lines in the top-left corner opens the menu. From there:
- Dashboard — the home screen
- Children — go directly to the children's profiles
- Resource Library — browse resources
- Chat — message PPCC
- Notifications — see what's new
- Caregiver Corner — connect with other parents
- Resource Map — find nearby services
- Calendar — upcoming events
- Feedback — submit feedback about Firefly directly to the team
- Settings — manage profile and preferences
- User Guide — access the built-in help guide
The user's name appears at the bottom of the menu — tap it to sign out.
Notifications
Purpose: Families see messages, alerts, and activity from their care team in one feed.
- From the home screen, tap Notifications in the Quick Actions
- See all notifications with timestamps
- Use Filter to narrow by type
- Tap "View" to see the full notification
- Tap "Reply" to respond directly
Settings & Signing Out
- Tap the three lines in the top-left corner to open the menu
- Tap the user's name at the very bottom
- A popup shows the name, email, and role
- Tap "Settings & Preferences" to manage the profile
- Tap "Sign Out" to sign out
Quick Reference
| I want to… | Here's how |
|---|---|
| Show the ER the child's info | Open Firefly — Emergency Card is the first thing on screen |
| Log something that just happened | Type it in the "What's happening today?" box on the home screen |
| Do my daily check-in | Tap the check-in card → "Same" if nothing changed, or "Edit" to update |
| Fill out a care plan form | Scroll to Digital Care Plan section on the dashboard |
| Update medications or allergies | Tap "All medications & insurance" on Emergency Card |
| Message the PPCC navigator | Tap Chat from Quick Actions → New → Private |
| Submit feedback | Menu → Feedback |
| Talk to other parents | Menu → Caregiver Corner |
| Find resources PPCC shared | Tap Resource Library from the home screen |
| Add a family member | Dashboard → Family Support → "Add to my team" |
| Add Firefly to the home screen | See "Add Firefly to Your Home Screen" section above |
| Take the tour again | Menu → Set Up Your Firefly → Retake this tour |
| Sign out | Menu → tap the user name → Sign Out |
Help Us Make Firefly Better
LANTERN families are among the first to use Firefly, and their feedback directly shapes what gets built next. Encourage families to share what they're experiencing — especially early on.
When talking to families about feedback, here's what's most helpful to hear:
- What were they trying to do?
- What happened instead?
Maybe a form was confusing. Maybe they couldn't find a resource they expected to see. Maybe something worked exactly right and they want more of that. All of it helps.
Families can share feedback by tapping Feedback in the sidebar menu — this sends it directly to the team. They can also tell their PPCC navigator directly. Every piece of feedback makes Firefly better for them and for the families who come after them.
This guide reflects Firefly as of the April 2026 launch.
Firefly by Your Villages — Care Coordination for Families
Questions? Contact the PPCC team lead or email support@yourvillages.com