Awards Season

Imagine!’s SmartHome project has recently been nominated for a Colorado Governor’s Excellence in Renewable Energy Award, which honors organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through the promotion, usage, implementation and technology development of renewable energy in Colorado.

Even more exciting, SmartHome guru Greg Wellems has been nominated for an American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Leadership Award for his visionary work on this first of its kind project. The AAIDD Leadership Award honors selected individuals or groups who have made outstanding contributions to the field.

Congrats to our team for continually being recognized for the great work being done on this ambitious project. And special good luck wishes to Greg – he is certainly deserving!

Imagine! Celebration Dinner and Auction to Benefit SmartHomes

The Imagine! Foundation has always felt that the end of January is a perfect time for its annual fund raising event, the Imagine! Celebration. The holidays are long gone, everyone is a bit weary of snow and cold (except, of course, in the high country!), and after the January lull, people are ready to get out again and mix a bit with colleagues and friends. The Celebration prides itself on providing not only a great time but also a genuine sense of the importance of the work Imagine! does every day for people with developmental disabilities. The announcement of the Consumer of the Year is always the high point of the event.

This year's special appeal will direct funds to Imagine!'s SmartHomes project.

The 9thth anniversary Celebration on Friday, January 29, 5:30-10:00 p.m. at the Radisson Conference Center in Longmont promises to be the best yet! It will feature more new specialty auction items than ever before -- everything from indoor skydiving in a vertical wind tunnel to a relaxing day-long spa treatment. There will also be trips galore from Hawaii to Greece! Be sure to check out our live auction items preceding the event here beginning on January 11.
More information about sponsors, auction items, and all of the festivities is available on the Imagine! website and Facebook page. Check back frequently!

Ticket and table prices remain the same as last year at $95/each or tables of ten for $1,250. Purchase tickets quickly and easily online. Reserve now, and we’ll look forward to seeing you on January 29th!

SmartHome, Phase II

We like to brag about the fact that our SmartHomes are full of integrated technologies that allow our residents to live fulfilling lives of independence and quality.

But we are realistic. We understand that the concept of building many of these homes is not sustainable – they are too expensive. Note that the funding for our two homes came entirely from private donations and government grants.

That is why we are using our SmartHomes as laboratories for “SmartSupports.” The homes will serve as sites for research into the use of technologies that will benefit the long term needs of individuals with disabilities in both residential and family home settings.

Here’s a quick explanation of why this is so important. The average annual cost to provide residential services for an individual with a developmental disability in Colorado is $65,000. Now, instead of moving into a residential setting, say a single piece of technology, or maybe two or three pieces of technology, were to allow an individual to live independently, or with their family, for another ten or twenty years. Even if the cost of those technologies were $20,000 or so upfront, the savings would still be substantial over the long term.

Or, conversely, if one or two technologies can reduce the operating costs for organizations (for profit or not for profit) that run residential sites serving multiple individuals with developmental disabilities and related concerns such as Alzheimer’s or elder care, those savings could be passed on to the people and organizations charged with covering the costs of those services.

This is why we are so excited to announce that we are working with Colorado WIN Partners to conduct studies on the effectiveness of technology in improving the lives of SmartHome residents. Members of the WIN team toured the Charles SmartHome yesterday, and tomorrow they will be meeting with SmartHome staff and residents as the preliminary steps in preparing their study.

The study will be funded by a $10,000 grant from IBM.

We look forward to partnering with Colorado WIN Partners as well as exploring other research options as we enter the second phase of our ambitious SmartHome project.

How the Sun Helps Us Meet Our Mission

Namaste Solar will install a 8.1kW solar PV system at our newest SmartHome in Longmont. The energy cost savings from these panels will be substantial, and will contribute to our overall mission of using SmartHomes to provide better and more efficient services to individuals with developmental disabilities.

How? Read below for more information.

The Colorado developmental disabilities system is in a state of crisis. Colorado ranks 46th in the nation in fiscal effort toward providing funding for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, and there are currently more than 9,100 individuals with developmental disabilities and their families on a waiting list to receive services in Colorado, and that number continues to grow every year.

You may ask, what does this have to do with green building? For Imagine!, creating a new, sustainable way of assisting some of our most vulnerable citizens meant creating a comprehensive plan for increasing efficiencies while improving services at the same time. The development and construction of our SmartHomes was the result of this planning, and using green technologies and building techniques was a natural extension of this effort.

Our energy efficient efforts for our two SmartHomes begin by building a tight structure with upgraded insulation, and include passive solar heating. Some of the green technologies included in one or both of our SmartHomes include a heat recovery ventilation system, geothermal ground source heat pumps, solar photo voltaic panels (6.75kW), solar thermal system, and a whole house energy load monitoring system to help our SmartHomes reduce energy costs and improve the overall efficiency level of Imagine!’s service provision. Most importantly, these efforts and technologies embody the core of Imagine!’s mission, which is to provide tools and supports that allow people with developmental disabilities to become active members of their community and contributing citizens. Living in a home designed to limit impacts on the environment and human health, and enhance their neighbors’ lives, certainly enables SmartHome residents to contribute in a tangible and meaningful way to their community.

Renovation Nation SmartHome Episode

For those of you who were not able to catch the recent airing of “Renovation Nation” featuring the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome, here’s the episode below. Watch Sterling take a ride on an adjustable counter top, learn why it is important to have level floor tiles in a home for people in wheelchairs, and see how Mandy charms the entire Renovation Nation.

Donna's Diary - November

Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Donna Fairchild has been writing an online diary about her experiences living in a technologically advanced home. She has seen a lot of visitors come by to check out the home. She has a surprising answer to the question of what piece of technology has impressed visitors most. Check out her diary below. To see more of her diary entries, click here.

And check out this pic of Donna as she painted pumpkins for Halloween. She's a pretty good pumpkin painter!

Well, my life has slowed down a bit in the past two months and that’s fine with me. Between moving into the SmartHome and getting married I got a little worn out. Don’t get me wrong, these were two of the best things that happened to me in my life, it’s just that now I can enjoy myself and not worry about how things are going to turn out. One of the other things that has been really good in my life is that Gerald is talking more than he used to. He keeps making more and more progress and that really tickles me.

The past few weeks I’ve been able to spend time with some old friends, especially my three housemates from the 18th Street PCA (the Station) and some of the staff from there too. Sometimes Christian (one of the staff from 18 th Street PCA) brings his beautiful baby girl to the SmartHome and it’s delightful to see her. You wouldn’t believe such a little kid would recognize someone but the other day she waved at me. It made me happy because you never know how kids are going to react to a person in a wheelchair.

It’s kind of funny when people visit the SmartHome, and with all the different technology that’s here the one thing they all sure are impressed with is the size of our TV. I guess it’s something that everyone can relate to. I’m getting to know my housemates better all the time, and even though we don’t agree on everything, we make it work out and I love being here.

Learn More About the Charles SmartHome Residents

Want to know a little more about the people living in the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome? Visit our residents page on the SmartHome website.

Thanks To Our Government Partners

One thing we’ve learned during the process of developing our SmartHomes, and indeed in the 43 years that we have been providing services to people with developmental disabilities in Boulder and Broomfield counties, is that we can’t do it alone.

Federal, state, and local governments are all partnering with us as we continue the construction process on our Longmont SmartHome. We are so grateful to the US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Colorado Division of Housing, and the City of Longmont for their willingness to partner with us as we explore new ways of providing services for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Thanks to our government partners: we couldn’t do it without you!

Longmont SmartHome Construction Update

Wow. The folks at Golden Triangle Construction are fast! They have come so far in just a few short months - the walls and roof are up and they are ahead of schedule. It looks great already!

Check out the latest construction photos here.

Charles Home Residents Work Hard and Contribute

The residents of the Bob and Charles SmartHome don’t just play on computers every day. Most of them have jobs or volunteer their time, earning money (and self esteem), paying taxes, and contributing to the community.

So what do the residents do? Chris works at Imagine!. Donna has a part time job and is a member of Imagine!’s board of directors. Gerald volunteers at the Humane Society. John works a variety of jobs in the community and spends a few hours each week at the retirement home down the street eating lunch and spending time with some of the residents. Lana works at the Walnut Brewery. Mandy loves painting pottery from time to time and enjoys giving her pieces away as gifts. Rae works at King Soopers. And Rebecca has done work for the City of Boulder.

The technology in the Charles SmartHome provides the residents easier access to their community so they can attend their jobs or volunteer to help others. But the technology wouldn’t matter if the residents weren’t all dedicated, hard working individuals determined to be part of the community at large in a meaningful way.

And for that, we salute them.

Spreading the Word

Imagine!’s SmartHome project continues to attract attention locally, nationally, and even internationally (did you know that we were recently awarded $25K by the Charles Evans Hughes Memorial Foundation to start an international campaign with a goal of provision of cost-effective services for individuals with developmental and related disabilities in the developing world?).

The SmartHome team has worked hard to share our knowledge with other organizations that are interested in discovering real, sustainable solutions to the crisis facing our nation’s current caregiver crisis.

Some very recent examples: yesterday, several members of the SmartHome team attended the 9th Annual Coleman Institute Conference. The conference had a theme of “Cognitive Disability, Inequality, and Technology in an Age of Economic Uncertainty" and the SmartHome was featured prominently throughout the conference. We also had an information booth at the conference poster session.

The folks at the Coleman Institute also collaborated with ANCOR, who scheduled their first ever Technology Leadership Summit for today, so conference attendees could attend the summit as well.

SmartHome guru Greg Wellems is giving the keynote address to summit attendees this morning, and this afternoon the group will tour the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome to see first hand how technology is impacting the lives of individuals with developmental and cognitive disabilities.

Charles SmartHome on National TV Nov. 13

Imagine!’s SmartHomes project continues to attract attention for its creative and unique approach to providing high quality and cost efficient services for individuals with developmental disabilities.

That trend continues with some impressive national exposure coming up! The Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome will be featured on TV’s Renovation Nation next Friday, November 13, on the Planet Green Network.

Host Steve Thomas visited the home last spring during construction and worked on several green projects for the home, all while the cameras were rolling.

Even more exciting, Steve met and interviewed Charles home resident Mandy Kretsch. Mandy was a star! Even before she was living in the home, she was demonstrating what a great ambassador she would be for the home.

Check your local listings for the time the show is running. You can even have an email reminder sent to you through the Planet Green website so you don’t forget!

Be sure to watch. This is a great opportunity for us to show a much wider audience the kind of innovative thinking and positive results that are taking place.

Charles Home Open House a Success

Last Saturday's open house at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome was a huge success!

Close to 100 neighbors, consumers, family members, and friends visited this unique home to see first hand how technology is improving the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities.

SmartHome residents pitched in and enthusiastically helped guide tours and shared information and experiences with their guests.

Thanks to all who attended, and especially thanks to all those who worked so hard to ensure the event went smoothly.

Check Out Donna's Latest Diary Entry

SmartHome resident Donna Fairchild loves living in the SmartHome, and wants to share her experiences!

Since spring, Donna has been writing an online diary for the SmartHome website. She recently posted her October entry, which you can read here.

If you haven’t seen her diary yet, be sure to check out the other entries.

Many thanks to Donna for keeping us up to date on the latest at the SmartHome!

Charles SmartHome Open House is Saturday

The development of the very first home in the nation to incorporate technology to improve the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities is something we at Imagine! are certainly proud of.

But we never lose sight of the fact that we can’t accomplish anything without the support of our community. So many generous individuals, businesses, and organizations have paid a key role in the development of this unique home.

That is why we are inviting the community to see first hand how technology can improve the lives of the people we serve. Imagine! is welcoming the general public to the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome, 1806 Iris Avenue, for a free Open House on Saturday, October 24 from 2:00-5:00 p.m. to share this remarkable achievement with its neighbors. Light refreshments will be served.

It’s not too late if you want to join us! RSVP to Susan LaHoda at (303) 666-7018 by Wednesday, October 21 if you would like to attend.

Longmont SmartHome Construction Moving Forward

Construction on our new Longmont SmartHome is moving rapidly! The foundation has been laid, and what was once an empty field has now become the beginnings of the second phase of Imagine!'s ambitious SmartHomes project.

Take a look at the latest construction photos here.

The Honors Keep Coming!

Imagine!’s SmartHome project continues to be recognized for its innovative nature.

Here’s two recent examples:

The Bob & Judy Charles SmartHome has been selected as one of three finalists in the inaugural Colorado Sustainable Design Awards (CSDA) in the Residential Architecture Category.

And tomorrow night, members of the SmartHome team will be in Breckenridge, CO, at the Housing Colorado Awards dinner. The Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome is a finalist for an Eagle Award, the winner of which will be announced at the dinner. This prestigious award celebrates the extraordinary accomplishments, innovations and outstanding leadership of organizations and people in housing and support services.

Cross your fingers and wish us luck! We'll keep you posted!

Great Article, Video of SmartHome

An article ran in yesterday's Boulder Daily Camera about the Charles SmartHome, along with a great video. Check out video below, you can read the article here.

Good Funding News

We’ve had some real good news regarding various funding opportunities for both of our SmartHomes in the past couple of weeks.

The Center for Resource Conservation has awarded the Longmont SmartHome $15,000 to go toward the installation of a solar photovoltaic system, which should cover most, if not all, of the costs of the system. Many thanks to the CRC!.

The City of Longmont Housing & Human Service Advisory Board has recommended to the City Council that $66,165.00 in 2010 City Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds be awarded for the construction of our Longmont SmartHome project. If additional resources are received by the City the award could increase to $75,000. Thank you Longmont!

IBM has awarded Colorado WIN Partners $10,000.00 for a research grant to study the impact of technology on the residents of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome. Thanks IBM!

SmartHome Residents on TV!

SmartHome residents Donna Fairchild and Gerald Stopa are accomplished artists. So much so that the TV show “Colorado and Company” recently featured them in a segment, along with art teacher extraordinaire Chris Murphy. Check out the video below.

Guess Who’s Touring The SmartHome?

As the word spreads about Imagine!’s ambitious SmartHomes project, everybody wants to take a look for themselves at how technology can positively impact the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities.

Check out this list of people who have visited the home in just the past couple of weeks:

Chris Collins, Executive Director at Alliance and Jeremy Schupbach, Legislative Liaison at Alliance.

Eric Kurtz, Budget Analyst staff member to the Joint Budget Committee for the State of Colorado.

Amy Haight-Becerra and Sean-Casey King from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Finance.

Sherry Ahrentzen from Arizona State University’s Stardust Center for Affordable Homes & the Family.

And tomorrow, representatives from Boulder’s Association of Community Living will be touring the home.

Interested in taking a tour? Find more details here.

Building Green To Increase Efficiencies

The Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome will be part of 14th Annual Boulder County Tour of Solar & Green Homes tomorrow.

Why is a home for individuals with developmental disabilities included on this tour? Because creating a new, sustainable way of assisting some of our most vulnerable citizens meant creating a comprehensive plan for increasing efficiencies while improving services at the same time. The development and construction of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome was the result of this planning, and using green technologies and building techniques was a natural extension of this effort.

You can get specific details about our use of green building techniques in this article from Conservation Magazine.

You can learn more about the tour here.

Donna's Diary - September

Did you know SmartHome resident Donna Fairchild has an online diary describing her experiences? If you haven’t seen it, you should take a look. She has a lot to say, and she has a lot going on in her life.

Her September diary entry talks about her recent wedding. During a touching ceremony, Donna made a lifelong commitment to her housemate (and soulmate) Gerald Stopa.

You can read her latest diary entry here. Bookmark the page and come back often!

And check out some wedding photos here.

A Love Story

A great, wonderful, lovely wedding took place on Saturday, September 12. SmartHome residents Gerald Stopa and Donna Fairchild exchanged vows and celebrated their love for one another with a commitment ceremony at Donna’s church in Boulder.

Since this blog is about SmartHomes and technology, here’s a sweet connection: Gerald, who is unable to speak, communicates using a DynaVox, a device that delivers pre-programmed messages through a computer. Last year, on Christmas, he used the DynaVox to propose to “his girl.”

You can read more about this happy couple in this great article in the Longmont Times Call.

They also have a slideshow of photos from the ceremony.

Congratulations Donna and Gerald!

Congratulations Sue!

One of the great pleasures of working on the SmartHome project these past few years has been seeing all the members of the community who have supported us in so many ways.

Tomorrow, one of our very finest supporters will be honored, not just for her helping on the SmartHome, but for all she has done for her community (and believe me, she has done a lot!).

Imagine! Foundation board member and good friend of the SmartHomes project Sue Deans is being honored as part of the Boulder Chamber of Commerce’s “Women Who Light The Community 2009.” An awards luncheon, hosted by the Boulder Chamber Business Women's Leadership Group, will take place on Friday, September 18, 2009 at the Millennium Harvest House Hotel from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

This year’s honorees were nominated by members of the community who recognized their outstanding contributions and were selected by a committee for the impact they are making in Boulder County and beyond through civic, professional, and community involvement.

Sue is a former Daily Camera editor with a 30-year award-winning career in journalism. Since her retirement in 2007, Sue has served on the boards and assisted local organizations such as Dairy Center for the Arts, Boulder History Museum, Imagine! Foundation, as well as advisory boards for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and the Board of Trustees for Knox College.

Congratulations on such a well deserved honor, Sue. And thanks for all you do for Imagine! and our SmartHomes!

The Time is Here to Move Some Dirt and Build a Home!

Take a look at this photo of a field, and soak it in. Because starting tomorrow, this field will be excavated to start the process of the building of our Longmont SmartHome.

That’s right! At 2:32 PM last Friday we officially completed the required closing associated with the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development to begin construction of our second SmartHome in Longmont. The time is here to move some dirt and build a home!

We’ll keep you updated on construction as we move forward. So don’t change that dial! There’s a lot about to happen.

Congratulations Leona!

The Longmont Association of Realtors has named Imagine! Foundation President and SmartHome supporter extraordinaire Leona Stoecker as its Carl Turner Citizen of the Year!

Leona has been particularly effective in acquainting Longmont individuals with Imagine!’s SmartHomes Project. A perfect example is the day she spent at the Charity Hole of the Longmont Chamber’s Commerce Cup Golf Tournament on June 1. As each cart rolled up to the hole – for five hours straight – Leona greeted each foursome with a brochure and a story about Imagine! and the Longmont SmartHome. Because almost every single person already knew and respected Leona, she was able to gently but enthusiastically encourage their support.

That event plus countless other meetings with potential donors, talks at service club meetings, and just telling people she meets has resulted in both interest and critical funding being raised – even in a very tight economy. Thanks in great measure to her efforts, more than $900,000 had been secured for the Longmont SmartHome even before the Groundbreaking Ceremony!

Leona will be presented with her award Thursday, September 17, 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel in Longmont.

Congratulations, Leona, and SO well deserved!

Millennium FAC Sept. 04

SmartHome residents enjoyed a fun night out at the Millennium Harvest House’s FAC event on September 4. Imagine! was the featured non-profit at the event, and music, food, art, and dancing were all on display!

Everything we do at Imagine!, including our SmartHome project, is ultimately a community building effort. In order for us to succeed at our mission of providing opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities to become contributing members of their communities, we need the community to support us.

That is why we are always delighted when a member of the community, be it a business, non-profit, or individual, gives us a chance to take part in a community activity.

So thanks to the Millennium Harvest House for letting us take part in their fun event, and thanks to so many of our neighbors for embracing our mission and becoming part of the mission in action.

SmartHome Tours

Now that the Charles SmartHome is occupied, more and more individuals and organizations have taken tours of the home to see up close and personal how technology can positively impact the lives of people with developmental disabilities.

Just this week, we gave two tours, to members of the East Boulder Optimist Club and to Dr. David Braddock (pictured here) and William Coleman, along with other key players from the Coleman Institute.

The latter is especially important, as the Institute's mission to catalyze and integrate advances in science, engineering and technology to promote the quality of life and independent living of people with cognitive disabilities fits in well with the mission and goals of the SmartHome.

If you are interested in touring the Charles SmartHome, click here.

Tweet! Tweet!

Like many organizations, Imagine! is embracing social media and Web 2.0. Our Facebook page has proven to be a great community builder – we have staff members, families, people in the DD field across the nation, and even consumers as fans.

So we’re taking the next step by entering the Twitterverse. That’s right, if you want tweets on our SmartHome project, you got ‘em.

Become a follower of the SmartHome on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ImagineColorado.

And if you haven’t become a fan on Facebook, please do so. You will be kept up to date on the latest and greatest info surround this ambitious project. Join here.

Presenting on the SmartHome

Imagine! SmartHome staff members and Imagine! Foundation board members have been traveling across the country in the past few months, giving presentations about Imagine!’s SmartHomes project to audiences at a wide variety of conferences. The desire of so many organizations to learn about this project serves as another reminder of how Imagine!'s SmartHomes continue to be recognized nationally as an innovative way to improve the efficiency and quality of services in the developmental disability field.

SmartHome presentations have been delivered in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington D.C. (to World Bank executives!), and as far away as Anchorage, Alaska.

Just as an example of a presentation closer to home, yesterday, Greg Wellems, Kevin Harding, and Imagine! Foundation Board President Leona Stoecker presented to IBM employees, giving an introduction to the SmartHome and describing plans for current and future development.

Learn more about the presentations here.

SmartHome In The News

In the past couple of weeks, the SmartHome has gotten some coverage in locally and nationally.

This story from the Boulder County Business Report followed the IQ Award we won last Thursday.

This story was from Open Minds Online E-News. Open Minds is "the go to place for market intellegence and best practice management solutions for hevioral health and social services fields."

We've got more coming! Stay tuned!

Victory at the IQ Awards!

Woo-hoo! We won! Imagine!'s SmartHomes project was honored at the Boulder County Business IQ Awards last night for being one of Boulder County's most innovative companies. Imagine! Board president Susan White (on the right in the photo) and Imagine! Foundation president Leona Stoecker show off the award.

A crowd of about 250 turned our at the Lionsgate Event Center in Lafayette for the 10th Annual Awards ceremony. Nine companies in nine categories, were named 2009 winners. Imagine! won in the non-profit category.

"They like us! They really like us!"

Why Build a SmartHome – Part II

A few weeks ago we posted on this blog some of the reasons we decided to build our two SmartHomes. That post discussed the big, national picture. Right here in this great state of Colorado, there are some compelling reasons to explore new methods of service delivery.

To be blunt, the Colorado Developmental Disabilities System is in a state of crisis. Need proof? Here’s some disturbing facts:

• Colorado ranks 46th in the nation in fiscal effort toward providing funding for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

• There are currently more than 9,100 individuals with developmental disabilities and their families on a waiting list to receive services in Colorado.

• Since 2001, the number of people on the waiting list for comprehensive (24 hour) services in Colorado has increased 189%

• Since 2001, the number of people on the waiting list for Supported Living Services (used to supplement already available supports for adults who either can live independently with limited supports or are principally supported from other sources such as families) has increased by 117%.

• An estimated 8,756 people with developmental disabilities in Colorado are living with family caregivers aged 60 and older.

• Waiver rewrites (Medicaid waivers are the funding mechanisms for people with developmental disabilities so they can receive services): waivers are no longer viewed as tools designed to provide services to help people with developmental disabilities engage in their communities, they are instead viewed as insurance “benefits” payments based on a standard fee schedule throughout the State. While this may work in other healthcare settings that supplement Medicaid payments with other sources, this is not true in the DD community.

For some very specific examples of how these waiver rewrites (the last bullet) are negatively impacting Colorado citizens with developmental disabilities, check out this article from Westword.

So, it is increasingly evident that the current system of funding and service delivery is unsustainable. However, there are few alternatives out there. That is why we are creating a new way of providing services through our SmartHomes.

It is time to find solutions, and someone needs to step up to the plate. That’s what we are trying to do here.

Imagine! Is An IQ Finalist

We don’t have to buy designer duds, but we are preparing to attend an awards ceremony! On Thursday, August 20, representatives from Imagine! will be attending the Boulder County Business Report’s IQ Awards ceremony.

Why? Well, we are a finalist in the non-profit category because of our innovative work on our SmartHomes project.

It is an honor to even be nominated and the nomination is another example of how this ambitious project is being recognized by many for its excellence.

We’ll let you know if we win on Friday. In the meantime, send your good thoughts and lucky charms our way!

To see a list of all IQ Award finalists, click here.

SmartHome Features For Improving Energy Efficiency

This week, we thought we'd continue to share some videos demonstrating some of the technologies that will be used throughout the SmartHome.

Today: SmartHome Features For Improving Energy Efficiency

SmartHome Features For Improving Staff Efficiency

This week, we thought we'd continue to share some videos demonstrating some of the technologies that will be used throughout the SmartHome.

Today: SmartHome Features For Improving Staff Efficiency

SmartHome In The News

In the past couple of weeks, the SmartHome has gotten some coverage in local newspapers.

This story from the Longmont Times-Call was about the groundbreaking of our Longmont SmartHome.

This story from the Loveland Reporter Herald was about a reggae festival that was donating some of its proceeds for the SmartHome.

We've got more press coming soon, including some national recognition. Keep coming back to this blog for more!

SmartHome Health and Safety Features

This week, we thought we'd share some videos demonstrating some of the technologies that will be used throughout the SmartHome.

Today: SmartHome Health and Safety Features

SmartHome Community Access Features

This week, we thought we'd share some videos demonstrating some of the technologies that will be used throughout the SmartHome.

Today: SmartHome Community Access Features

SmartHome Bedroom Features

This week, we thought we'd share some videos demonstrating some of the technologies that will be used in various rooms throughout the SmartHome.

Today: The SmartHome Bedroom

SmartHome Kitchen Features

This week, we thought we'd share some videos demonstrating some of the technologies that will be used in various rooms throughout the SmartHome.

Today: The SmartHome Kitchen.

Making It Work Together

One thing we’ve learned during the process of building our first SmartHome, and indeed in the 43 years that we have been providing services to people with developmental disabilities in Boulder and Broomfield counties, is that we can’t do it alone.

Assisting persons with developmental disabilities is essentially a community building endeavor. Through creativity, innovation, professional and personal teamwork, and individual effort, a variety of human and business resources in the community collaborating to make our first SmartHome a reality.

As an example, check out this press release from Curotek. As the release points out, with the use of "Smart Supprots" technology and Curotek's CARE System, Imagine! is bringing safety, human connection and a level of assistance while maintaining a sense of independence to the lives of people who can feel separated and dependent. By sharing the collaboration with others, Curotek is clearly demonstrating their pride in being associated with such a unique and ambitious project.

Imagine! is supremely grateful to our many partners on this project. To see a full list of our friends and supporters, click here.

Longmont SmartHome Groundbreaking a Success!

Despite the hot! hot! hot! weather we had a great turnout at the groundbreaking of our Longmont SmartHome yesterday.

Attendees included Longmont Mayor Roger Lange, former Longmont Mayor (and Imagine! Foundation board president) Leona Stoecker, and other key dignitaries including Brian Juge, Jeff Dingwall, Denise Selders, Ellen Ranson, Chris Mirto, and Kathy Fedler. Leona spoke passionately to the crowd about the importance of this project and providing opportunities to people with developmental disabilities.

You can read a Longmont Times Call story about the groundbreaking here.

Longmont Groundbreaking Set For Tomorrow

Imagine! is breaking ground on its Longmont SmartHome this Thursday, July 23, joining the recently opened Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder to become the first two homes in the nation to incorporate technologies to enhance the lives of people with developmental disabilities.

On December 12, 2007, federal, state, and local leaders met at Longmont’s city government chambers to witness a check presentation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to Imagine! for $645,300 to be used toward the building of Imagine!’s SmartHome in Longmont.

In 2008, after the Imagine! SmartHome team submitted a City of Longmont Application for Affordable Housing Projects, Greg Wellems, Imagine!’s Innovations Director, and Sterling Wind, Imagine!’s SmartHome Project Manager, made a presentation to the City of Longmont’s Technical Review Committee to request City Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for the Longmont SmartHome.

The presentation must have been a resounding success, as Imagine! was notified in October that City of Longmont is recommending that the SmartHome project be awarded $60,232.00, along with an additional $12,934.00 if the City receives more than the minimum amount of CDBG funding, to be directed towards purchasing a lot in Longmont.

And in mid-April, 2009, the Colorado Division of Housing (CDOH) awarded $90,000 to be used for construction costs for the Longmont SmartHome. The award was the result of a grant prepared by Imagine!'s HUD consultant, Mary Anderies, and a presentation by Greg and Sterling.

Gerald Moves In To The Charles SmartHome

Great video! Watch as Gerald Stopa, the very first resident of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome, enters his new house for the very first time.

Meet the Charles SmartHome Residents

We’re a little more than halfway through July, and a little less than halfway there in terms of residents moving in to the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome.

It seems like a good time to introduce all of the new SmartHome residents: those who have moved in (Gerald, Donna, and Mandy), and those who will be moving in the next couple of weeks (Chris, John, Lana, Rae, and Rebecca).

Each resident will have their own webpage on the SmartHomes website. There, they will be able to post photos, videos, diary entries, and plenty of other stuff so we can all share their experiences living at the SmartHome.

You can check out their pages here. We’re just starting to build up the pages, so bookmark them and come back often. The pages will help us all discover what we can learn from these new residents and their experiences as they demonstrate the SmartHome in action.

Tours, Tours, Tours

Today, key staff from the Ohio Provider Resource Association will be touring the Charles SmartHome. Tomorrow, Dr. Sharon Jacksi, from the Colorado State Division for Developmental Disabilities, will be touring the home.

The desire of so many organizations, both in Colorado and nationally, to learn about this project serves as another reminder of how Imagine!'s SmartHomes continue to be recognized as an innovative way to improve the efficiency and quality of services in the developmental disability field.

Now that the residents have moved in, we will be setting a formalized schedule for tours in the future. While we certainly recognize that the Charles SmartHome is a “show home” of sorts, we also are very aware of the fact that the folks living there can’t be “on call” to do tours any day and time of the week. They need to go to their jobs, or to their neighborhood activities, or visit with friends and family.

In short, they need the ability to engage fully in the community. That is Imagine!’s mission, and that’s why we built the Charles SmartHome, and that’s why we’re building another SmartHome in Longmont.

Guided tours of the Charles SmartHome will be available to the public starting in August. More details will be posted on the SmartHomes website soon.

Why Are We Doing This?

If you are new to this (new) blog, you may be saying – this all sounds very cool, buy why are you building this thing anyway?

There are many reasons driving this goal of creating a new way of providing residential services:

Healthcare is becoming increasingly complex as people live longer.

Residential healthcare facilities, including facilities for people with developmental disabilities, are increasingly filling with older residents with more complex healthcare needs.
This problem is compounded by the fact that people are living longer. According to The State of the States in Developmental Disabilities: 2005, in 2004, approximately 2.8 million of the 4.6 million with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities in the U.S. were receiving support from family caregivers. The lifespan of persons with developmental disabilities in the 1970s was approximately 56 yrs, and in 1993 the lifespan was 66 years. Now, it is expected that, with the exception of those with the most severe disabilities, "those with developmental disabilities will have a lifespan typical of that of the general population. The increased lifespan has accounted for an estimated 10-20% increase in demand for residential services in the past 3 decades alone." Emerging residential technologies that will be utilized at the SmartHome can address projected demand for long-term care services and reduce the need for tens of thousands of additional staff.

Caregivers need more information.

This increase in the complexity of healthcare leads to an increase in a caregiver’s need for up-to-date, accurate and relevant information about the people they serve. This can create a huge burden on a caregiver’s time. The SmartHome will automate many of these tasks, providing caregivers with more time to do what they do best: take care of people.

Healthcare is costly.

In 2006, Americans spent $2.2 trillion on healthcare, 50% more than any country. Currently, 40% of the United States budget is spent on Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security, and that number is expected to rise to 74% by 2030. Finding ways to provide improved healthcare services while simultaneously improving cost efficiency is imperative, and Imagine! is leading the way with the creation of its SmartHome.

Healthcare IT is critical.

It is estimated that 98,000 people die due to hospital errors each year. Imagine!’s SmartHome will use technology to improve the quality and effectiveness of services and simplify and increase medical surveillance to reduce medical errors.

It is about giving someone a better life.

All the reasons listed above are great. But ultimately, the SmartHome is designed to develop, use, and learn about technologies that can improve an individual’s (an individual who faces serious challenges due to a cognitive or developmental disability) quality of life. To give them a sense of independence they never had before. To give them the opportunity to embrace their community in a way all of us would like to.

Click here to see a short, moving video from the dedication of the Charles SmartHome to see the human face of what we are trying to do and why.

Going Green to Meet Our Mission

The Colorado developmental disabilities system is in a state of crisis. Colorado ranks 46th in the nation in fiscal effort toward providing funding for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, and there are currently more than 9,100 individuals with developmental disabilities and their families on a waiting list to receive services in Colorado, and that number continues to grow every year.

You may ask, what does this have to do with the SmartHomes and green building? For Imagine!, creating a new, sustainable way of assisting some of our most vulnerable citizens meant creating a comprehensive plan for increasing efficiencies while improving services at the same time. The development and construction of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome was the result of this planning, and using green technologies and building techniques was a natural extension of this effort.
The Charles SmartHome, funded by private donations and grants, provides permanent affordable housing for eight individuals with physical, cognitive, and developmental disabilities, and incorporates cutting edge technologies to improve the quality and efficiency of services and supports for the residents.

Our energy efficient efforts began by building a tight structure with upgraded insulation, and include passive solar heating. Some of the green technologies included are a heat recovery ventilation system, three geothermal ground source heat pumps, solar photo voltaic panels (6.75kW), solar thermal system, and a whole house energy load monitoring system to help the Charles SmartHome reduce energy costs and improve the overall efficiency level of Imagine!’s service provision. Most importantly, these efforts and technologies embody the core of Imagine!’s mission, which is to provide tools and supports that allow people with developmental disabilities to become active members of their community and contributing citizens. Living in a home designed to limit impacts on the environment and human health, and enhance their neighbors’ lives, certainly enables the Charles SmartHome residents to contribute in a tangible and meaningful way to their community.

"Circle of Seven" Prepare Welcome Gifts for Charles SmartHome Residents

One of the nice things about working at a non-profit organization is that you often get to see the best, and most generous, side of your community.

Case in point:

A group of friends in Boulder formed a group called the “Circle of Seven.” Their goal was to come together to focus on a large volunteer opportunity (think "book club" - but for volunteering.)

All of the friends researched opportunities and came back together with many, many wonderful options. They found it was too hard to choose and filter anything out! So they decided to do one large project together, and smaller groups are continuing to work together to complete other projects we came up with.

One of the projects the group came up with was preparing "Welcome Home" kits for the new Imagine! Charles SmartHome residents!

The kits included embroidered bath and hand towels, embroidered name plates for their doors, a small plant (very easy to care for - in mugs), a12x12 white board with an extra pen, a shower caddy with a laminated name label on it, a hand-painted picture frame, some Doc Popcorn buttered popcorn, a Melamine dish set including plate, salad plate, bowl, cup, a sketch pad and markers, and a metal water bottle.

The three residents who have moved in so far have been delighted with the gifts, and we are sure that trend will continue.

All of us on the SmartHome team offer many thanks to the generous women who put these baskets together: Daria Carter, Lauren White, and Mary Davis. You are the very definition of community, and we are most grateful.

First Charles SmartHome Resident Moves In

After years of planning and hard work, the dream becomes real today! The first resident of the Charles SmartHome, Gerald Stopa, is moving in today.

Gerald’s story is the perfect example of why we built the SmartHome. Imagine if you will that you can’t turn the lights on or off in your room by yourself. Or you can’t decide what you want to watch on TV or listen to on your stereo. Or you can’t even tell somebody if you are hurt, or happy, or sad, because you can’t talk.

When Gerald began receiving services from Imagine! several years ago, that was what he was facing. Gerald has cerebral palsy and very limited speech and movement. However, technology, such as the kind of technology that will be used in the SmartHome, has allowed Gerald, at age 47, to learn to read, communicate, play music, select his own TV programs and videos to watch, and basically control his own environment to a much greater degree than at any time in the past.

Gerald is now in charge of his life in a way nobody would have thought possible just ten years ago. The goal of the SmartHome is to act as a laboratory for all sorts of technologies so many more people can have the kind of opportunities that Gerald has.

Welcome to your new home Gerald! I know you will make us proud!

Charles SmartHome Dedication June 25

On June 25, approximately 100 people crowded into the new Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome at 1806 Iris Avenue in Boulder for its Dedication ceremony. The Charles SmartHome is the first home in the nation to incorporate technology to enhance the lives of people with developmental disabilities. The home will also serve as a site for research into the use of technology to benefit the long term needs of individuals with disabilities in both residential and family home settings.

At the Dedication, Imagine!’s Innovations Director Greg Wellems spoke of the vision he had for creating a space where people with disabilities could use technology to increase their independence and self-sufficiency to a degree never thought possible before. He told the story of Gerald, who is one of the Imagine! clients who is moving into the SmartHome. Gerald has cerebral palsy and very limited speech and movement. However, technology has allowed Gerald, at age 47, to learn to read, communicate, navigate his wheelchair around his room, and basically control his own environment to a much greater degree than at any time in the past. Greg topped the story of Gerald with the announcement that Gerald and Donna, another future SmartHome resident, are now planning to get married. The delighted crowd cheered and applauded!

SmartHome Naming Donors Bob and Judy Charles were honored at the event for their generosity and far-sighted investment in Imagine!’s vision. Bob Charles, Founder of the Imagine! Foundation, and Judy were among the earliest supporters of the SmartHome concept and have worked tirelessly alongside Imagine! to turn the vision into reality.