For many seniors, uprooting from home and transplanting to a new setting is their worst nightmare. For this 94-year-old nature lover and master gardener, it simply was never an option.
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In the last five years, especially with the arrival of the Amazon Echo in 2014, it has become increasingly obvious that Voice-First technology is going to change enabling technology completely. These speech-enabled interactions, designed for delivery through voice assistant software and voice-activated devices, have already begun to revolutionize care for people who are aging in place or living with disabilities.
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We hope that a lack of funding for assistive technology never hinders people with developmental disabilities from leading full and independent lives in the community. The reality, of course, is that funding for people with disabilities can be very limited, and enabling technology can become an afterthought. What you may not know: You may have a right to assistive technology. When assistive technology is necessary for a person with a disability to be able to learn, live, have independence, or have a job, certain public programs may pay for that AT. Today on the blog, we feature three of those assistive technology programs here in our home state of North Carolina.
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For Eric and his care team, technology is key to independence. When the 36-year-old moved out of a group home into an apartment of his own for the first time, Eric’s family was concerned that he wouldn’t be able to manage life on his own.
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After airing a feature focused on Carl's Story last week, Tennessee's WJHL (Channel 11) released a follow-up story focusing on the state's initiative to incorporate technology in supporting people with disabilities.
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Carl's story, which we have featured on our blog in a two-part blog post (Read Part I here and Part II here), was recently featured on News Channel 11 (WJHL) in Tennessee. Carl is a client with Core Services of Northeast Tennessee and the new Enabling Technology pilot program with TN DIDD uses SimplyHome technology. Carl is the first to use SimplyHome technology to live on his own with the pilot program.
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PR Newswire, Asheville, NC (July 16, 2018) – SimplyHome, LLC, announces the debut of the Check-in Service and Responder App for iOS and Android mobile devices. The latest addition to SimplyHome’s suite of enabling technology, the Check-in Service and Responder App allow provider organizations to verify care and easily manage a client’s circle of support.
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It's often the first conversation we have with people who are new to SimplyHome: Why do you call it enabling technology? You use sensors in your systems, so isn't this the same as remote monitoring, or monitoring technology? And adding to that confusion, sometimes the same devices – such as cameras or sensors – can be used for remote monitoring OR enabling technology. So how do we define enabling technology?
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One month in, Carl is loving life on his own. His transition to his own home has worked out so well that Core Services now has a long list of people they support who could benefit from enabling technology. SimplyHome is honored to partner with Core Services and we look forward to partnering in more amazing outcomes for the people they support.
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Note: The original version of this post was published in November. But we have some additional resources to share with you, so we thought we'd update it and share it again!
It’s a question we hear often: Does my state cover assistive technology?
It’s not a surprising question: Working through pages and pages of waivers and other documents can make you feel like you are working in the dark.
As we work with providers, clients, families, and loved ones, most want to know if Medicaid funding can be used to implement assistive technology – and specifically, to use that technology to promote independence as a part of a life in the community. This is what we call enabling technology.
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Recently SimplyHome’s Allen and Drue Ray attended the 2018 Ohio Tech Summit, a one-day event focused on technology that enables independence for people with disabilities.
Allen led a session where he spoke about SimplyHome’s enabling technology products and services, but as usual, he reminded the audience not to focus on the newest technology for its own sake, on “Final Rules” or on EVV, but to focus instead on their why.
Allen asked each audience member to write down their own why for wanting to use technology to support people with disabilities. SimplyHome was so inspired by the audience’s responses that we wanted to share some of these! Thanks to these awesome audience members for sharing their why.
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The Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (TN DIDD) recently released a video that is a moving portrait of how enabling technology helped Carl (who receives services via one of our partners, Core Services of Northeast Tennessee) finally achieve his dream of living on his own.
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With changes in Medicaid funding as a result of the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) final rule, states are developing waivers to support the transition of people with mental health issues into more independent community living. With these waivers, individuals can access enabling technology that supports health and wellbeing without the need for 24/7 staffing in the home environment.
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David Maennle, whom we have previously featured on the SimplyHome blog, continues to distinguish himself as an outstanding young man working towards his goals. David has Down syndrome and uses SimplyHome technology to live in his own apartment in the community.
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Today on our blog, in support of the upcoming event #InclusionSaturday, we feature our employee Bryan Leonard, who also happens to be celebrating a birthday this week. Happy Birthday, Bryan!!!!
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