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.