Donna Ups The Ante With Her Exercises

Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Donna is serious about her exercising and getting in better shape! Check out these photos and their captions, which were provided to us by Chantelle Tweten, the Site Supervisor at the SmartHome.

In this session, Donna stood 11 times and used her ergometer for 10 minutes.



While she was working on her exercises, a counselor brought Donna the finished tie die shirt she made with Chantelle. Donna is a rock star in helping out and taking care of herself!

Mandy's Poetry

The following are two short poems written by Mandy, who lives in the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome.

The cupcakes are sweet
They are a treat.
They’re chocolate
And they melt in the heat.

The air is clear and clean
I see a beam
The river is noisy
But it sounds very keen.
I love it.

Check Out The Latest SmartHome Newsletter

The latest SmartHome newsletter is available online.

Check it out here.

SmartHome Residents' Meeting Notes Show Insight

This blog post was provided to us by Mandy, who typed up the minutes to a recent meeting at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder. In spite of the friendships and support the residents of the home share with one another, with eight people residing in the house, and as with any group of housemates, there will be issues. The residents choose to be proactive and have regular meetings where they can openly share concerns or suggestions with one another. These notes are from a house meeting on January 24th and provide a keen insight into the residents’ efforts to communicate effectively with one another.

“What we discussed in group last night.

We discussed some of the most effective ways that we as a house may be able to help one another communicate better. Sometimes one of us may be uncomfortable because they are unable, unsure, or maybe they don’t even know how to express how they are feeling or even whether they should speak out about how they are truly feeling.

They may be afraid to tell us about how they are feeling. In our last house meeting, we discussed certain questions that may be helpful for us to ask one another. If we notice that another client is feeling uneasy and uncomfortable, they taught us to be polite, calm, and ask if there is anything we can do for them and tell them that we care about them.”

John Cautions Us That The Roads Are Really Slick

This blog post was sent via an audio email from John, who is a resident of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder.

Hey, How are you? This is your friend JR speaking. It’s really slick on the roads so take your time. I know it’s going to be a bit tricky on the roads because it’s really icy out there.

I know that you are watching the weather (I hope), and I also have a new joke for you. "What do you call a deer with no eyes?" The answer is “no idear.” One more is “How do you make a handkerchief dance?” The answer is, “Put a boogie on it.” Those are my two best jokes and I hope you understand them.

I’ll talk to you later, OK? Have a good night, stay warm.

Let’s Go Fly A Kite!

This post was provided by Gerald and his housemate Rebecca who helped out with the interview with Gerald. He had a brand new kite on his lap, which as you can imagine, led to questions.

“Last weekend, Gerald went to Pearl Street Mall with his primary counselor Whitney and his wife Donna. He bought a kite at the store “Into the Wind.” He is looking forward to having the chance to go to an open space, possibly North Boulder Park, to fly his new kite.”

We hope to get photos of that!

SmartHome Residents' Art Honors George Washington

Two days ago, on President’s Day, some of the residents of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder, CO wanted to create an art project to honor our US presidents. Staff member Claudette Moloney helped Donna, Lana, and Rae create some pieces of art of George Washington, pictured below. They used markers, cotton balls, glue, and star stickers to create the art.

After supper, the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome weekly reading group was meeting to discuss George Washington and learn more about him.

After being told that this photo would be for a blog post,
Rae offers a hearty wave to everyone who reads the post.

Lana puts the finishing touches on her art of George Washington.

Donna shows her George Washington art.

This is Rae's finished art.

Promoting Independence in the Environment

You may recall that late last year, SmartHomes guru Greg Wellems gave a presentation to the prestigious Institute of Medicine’s Public Workshop on Fostering Independence and Healthy Aging through Technology.

The Institute created a summary of Greg’s presentation that you can find below, which is a very good representation of how technology can promote independence among individuals with developmental disabilities. Thanks for sharing!

PROMOTING INDEPENDENCE IN THE ENVIRONMENT

Gregory Wellems, Chief Operating Officer, Imagine!

Imagine!, which is a private not-for-profit organization in Colorado that provided support to 2,800 people in 2011, largely supports people on Medicaid who have relatively few assets. Imagine! therefore focuses on technology, since technology will be essential to overcome the barriers to care faced by those without extensive resources on which they can draw.

Providers tend to throw technology at problems, such as an online learning system, an online management system, an enterprise application, and a remote monitoring system. But unless these systems are tied together, they will not interrelate and work together. In addition, when smart homes or smart services are developed in universities, the people who test technologies tend to be college students pretending to have a disability, said Wellems. But the best way to develop technologies is to have people with cognitive and developmental disabilities use technologies to figure out what works and to determine where changes are needed.

Service providers need to have a strategic process to prioritize and analyze organizational “pain points.” For example, a six-inch binder full of paper is a pain point, because it is static information, whereas dynamic information is needed to plan for change. Technology produces change in services and caregiver dynamics, and organizations need to plan for such change.

Universal design has to encompass technology, Wellems observed. A house can have an outlet near the top of the door so that an automatic door opener can be added at some point. Ceilings can be reinforced to accommodate a barrier-free lift. Walls can be reinforced with particleboard or plywood so that a robotic arm can be added, and countertops can be adjusted up or down. Control panels can allow complete access to any outlet or device in the home so that doors or windows can be opened or closed and televisions and radios can be turned on or off. Energy use can be monitored to increase efficiency, and other kinds of dashboard systems can capture and analyze data and present that information in a meaningful way to an end user.

Imagine! uses a radio-frequency identification (RFID) system in its home to provide services to occupants as well as to inform caregivers and managers. The same system can be used to understand health care needs and how they change over time. For example, it can monitor the amount of time a caregiver spends with a client and how the amount changes over time. Remote monitoring systems can detect falls or proximity, provide for remote health monitoring, and compile other kinds of data. Cognitive support technology can work in any location, whether a home or the community.

Wellems pointed to a particular example of “low-hanging fruit” for promoting independence in the environment. The expertise of most corporations is in information technology, not in managing remote monitoring systems. Such expertise is increasing in some companies, but service providers are looking for more. For example, RFID technology needs to be more reliable to use with confidence in smart homes.

Wellems also cited the success of social media, which has redefined community for people with disabilities. Social media do not recognize disabilities, he said.

Finally, he emphasized the importance of personnel. A particular caregiver may understand a particular technology, but then a new caregiver arrives who does not. Service companies will need to do a better job of writing job descriptions, recruiting employees, and training them for their positions to provide support.

The goal is not just to create smart home after smart home, said Wellems. Families are waiting, and some individuals will not become eligible for Medicaid. Technologies need to be developed and widely implemented so that smart home concepts become familiar and common.

Why We Do What We Do

Once again, CU Engineering students will be developing and building assistive technology projects for individuals Imagine! serves, including SmartHome residents. We always start the process by giving a presentation on the history of services for individuals with developmental disabilities in our country to give a sense of perspective and demonstrate why these technologies are so important. Check out that presentation below, and be reminded why Imagine! does what it does.

A Brief History of Services for People With Developmental Disabilities in Colorado – from Fred Hobbs

Celebrating Imagine!'s 50th Anniversary

Fun, short (really) video celebrating Imagine!’s 50th Anniversary – with an eye toward the future.
 

Can’t see the video? Click here. 

Gerald's Party Pics (Part II)

Last Friday night, the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder was rocking to Beatles tunes while revelers enjoyed great food and wore handmade party hats (made by Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source artists) to help Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Gerald enjoy his birthday. His birthday was actually Sunday, but Gerald had made plans to go to dinner with his wife Donna and his Primary Counselor Whitney, so the party was on Friday so many people could celebrate Gerald’s birthday.

Our thanks to Site Supervisor Chantelle Tweten for providing us with these photos.

Gerald had told some people that if he could have one present for his birthday it would be a fire truck. His housemate Mandy made that wish come true.



Gerald's wife Donna helped him open his cards,
and Gerald seems quite pleased that this card had some money enclosed.

Gerald's Party Pics

Here’s some great pictures from Gerald’s birthday party this last weekend.

The gang gathers around the table.

Gerald’s menu selection: spaghetti, mashed potatoes, coconut ice cream, cake.

Gerald shows off his favorite Twisted Pine beer flavors.

John is grooving to the Beatles, Gerald's favorites!

The ladies gather around John for a pic.

Lana's Funky Art

This blog post was sent via an audio email by Lana, who is a resident at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder. After receiving this email. we stopped by Lana's art class to get these photos. In the bottom photo Lana is gluing smaller pieces of art onto a larger piece of paper, what she calls her "Funky Art."

Hi, This is Lana. I thought I’d give you an email. I’m doing butterflies and bees in art class. So anytime you want to come and look at my art, come on over. I’ll show you my flower one too. Talk to you soon, bye.

This is Lana's butterflies and bees art piece that she is still working on.

Lana was in the process of finishing up this piece of art this afternoon.
She calls it her "Funky Art."

Happy Birthday, Gerald!

Wishing the happiest of birthdays to Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Gerald. Make it a great one, G!

Rebecca's Art

Rebecca painted this piece of art in approximately 30 minutes yesterday afternoon at her CORE/Labor Source art class. What a great blend of colors.

Lana and Rebecca Help Around The House

Even with all the helpful technology at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder, there are still some things that are done the old fashioned way. In the photo, Lana (left) is emptying the dust pan after sweeping the floor, and Rebecca is mopping. This was a perfect example of teamwork, and to hear their laughter while they cleaned was sure a welcomed treat.

Rebecca Preps Her Lunch

Rebecca seems to really be enjoying all her chores at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome these days. Here she is making her lunch for the following day, and she's got a nice variety of items in her lunch. Keep up the good effort and the positive attitude, Rebecca!

Gerald’s Birthday Plans (Part 3)

This blog post was sent via an email from Gerald’s Creative Writing Instructor, Meagan Rountree, who wrote, "Below is a letter that Gerald wrote as well as a story he typed in creative writing class."
 
Regular followers of this blog may recognize that it contains familiar material about Gerald's upcoming birthday (the January 18 and January 30 posts), but what is noteworthy, if not remarkable, about the three posts is that they all came to us through different channels. 

The first post was given in person, with Gerald using his finger switch to activate his birthday message using his Dynavox computer.

The second post came to us via an audio email in which Gerald was interviewed by one of the staff members at his home and vocalized his responses.

This post came through an email, with the text typed by Gerald in his creative writing class.

Considering that Gerald went most of his previous 50+ years not being able to effectively communicate to people that his birthday is coming up, it sure is neat that he now has at least three different ways to do so.

"In creative writing class we are working on different writing projects to send to the newsletter. This month, I’d like to send you some writing I did with my device about my upcoming birthday. Attached is my story as well as a picture of me typing it." Sincerely, Gerald

 

My Birthday

By: Gerald Stopa

My birthday is February 10th. I will be 51 years old. I am excited to go out eat at The 3 Margaritas with Donna and Whitney. I will also be having a party at the (Bob and Judy Charles) SmartHome. I look forward to seeing my friends and celebrating birthday.

Guess Who’s Touring The SmartHomes?

Scheduled to tour the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome today: Matt Klemenc, David Vanderiet & Steve Roberts from Plexus. Plexus was a generous Silver Sponsor for our Imagine! Celebration and are interested in learning if there are more opportunities to partner with us. Welcome, gentlemen, and enjoy your tour!

Gerald’s Birthday Plans

This blog post was submitted via an audio email from Gerald, who lives at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder. In this post, Gerald did not use his Dynavox computer to communicate, he vocalized his responses to questions he was asked by one of the staff members from his home. Gerald is very skilled at using his Dynavox, but he is also working hard to improve his oral communication skills. Although some of the questions presented to Gerald required only "yes" or "no" responses, Gerald seemed pleased to have had a successful interview for the audio email.

Staff: What’s going on soon that you are excited about?
Gerald: My birthday.

Staff: Is it in February?
Gerald: Um hum.

Staff: February 10?
Gerald: Yeah.

Staff: If you could have one present for your birthday what would it be?
Gerald: A fire truck.

Staff: Do you get excited when you see the people around town when they’re fighting fires in their big truck?
Gerald: Uh huh.

Staff: What else are you doing on your birthday? Are you going out?
Gerald: Going out to eat. Staff: Do you know which restaurant you’re going to?
Gerald: Three Margaritas.

Staff: But you’re not going to have three margaritas are you?
Gerald: No.
Staff: OK, good. Happy birthday G.