Periodically throughout this blog, we have shared some of the many reasons Imagine! has undertaking the monumental task of building two SmartHomes, the first homes in the nation to use technology to improve the quality and efficiency of service delivery for individuals with developmental, cognitive, and related disabilities.One of the reasons we have given is that we are facing a crisis in the developmental disabilities system right here in Colorado. Too many people need services, and not enough resources are available to meet the need.
So by creating a new, more efficient model of service delivery, we hope to be able to continue to provide services for some of our State’s most vulnerable citizens.
Here’s a perfect example of why. Last fall, the State announced that, due to budget cuts, it would be closing the Grand Junction Regional Center, which cares for 145 patients, primarily ones with developmental disabilities who do not require constant nursing care. Some 32 residents, though, are severely developmentally disabled and have physical disabilities as well as complex medical needs. Those individuals will continue to need services, and the local Community Centered Board (CCB) in Grand Junction, Mesa Developmental Services, have done a heroic job of stepping up to fill the void created by the closure of the Regional Center.
But we can’t expect CCBs to continue to make up for shortfalls in resources. And we don’t realistically expect that State and Federal governments will be in a position to drastically increase funding for services anytime soon.
That it why it is imperative that we look at new models of service delivery now, before the crisis in our State, and indeed the nation, gets worse.
Hence, Imagine!’s SmartHome project.
Why do we bring this up now? Because, although the selection process is not yet complete, it is likely that one of the residents of our new Longmont SmartHome, scheduled to be completed in a short month or two, will be a former resident of the Wheat Ridge Regional Center. While that facility was spared in the most recent round of cuts, the closing of the Grand Junction Regional Center indicates that none of the regional centers in the state are safe, and the time is now to explore alternative service options for residents in those facilities as well.
Once all of the residents for our Longmont home are selected, we’ll let you know who they are and how important they are to our community.
Interested in earlier “Why Build a SmartHome” posts? Check them out below.
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