Welcome to anther Tech Tuesday edition of Chris’s Corner, presented by Imagine! Assistive Technology Specialist Chris Baumgart. Today, Chris provides an update on residents of Imagine!’s Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome and their use of a new computer-based medication task minder developed by Imagine! staff members called MedMinder.
Chris’s Corner
Welcome back, fellow corner-ians!
In this installment of The Corner takes us back to the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder, where residents are taking control.
But wait, the momentum keeps on building! Now, in addition to Lana, John, and Karen jumping on the medication self-reliance train, Rae, Rebecca, and Chris have hopped on board as well. Pictured below you see each of them taking practice tests to review everything they need to know about their medications, as well as practicing the act of filling a Medication Reminder Box.
Not only have the residents expressed how much they enjoy having more control over their medications, but the benefits for the residential staff have been observed as well. According to Shannon Bundy, the Site Supervisor at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome, the fact that three of the residents are now self-reliant with their medications has reduced staff workload by as much as an hour per day, which really adds up. Now they’re on track to see another three clients become medication self-reliant as well!
Exciting times over there, everyone! Keep up the great work!
And check back with us soon, Corner-ians! We’ve got more updates coming!
We are excited to announce that, thanks to you, CaraSolva is still in the running for a $100,000 small business grant through Chase Small Business’s Mission Main Street Grants program. They needed 250 votes via Facebook to move on to the next round, and thanks to your votes, they crushed that number. Since it was first created, Imagine! has been a partner in the development of CaraSolva’s CareSupport software, which automates and simplifies the daily tasks performed by nurses and professional caregivers. If they get this grant it will have a significant impact on the lives of many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
We appreciate the support and will keep you posted as we learn more.
For today’s Tech Tuesday, please enjoy this video, which demonstrates how Tommy, who accepts services from Imagine!, uses an iPad to overcome communication challenges. Good stuff!
Mandy, who lives in Imagine!’s Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome, has published another book! This book has the summer-themed title of “Almost Out of School.” Mandy describes the book as being about “almost being summer time for the kids at school and the activities they do right before they are set free for the summer!” The book is available for purchase for only $9.75.
Families at the Forefront of Technology Conference: Getting the Right People Together to Develop & Enable Assisted Technology for Our Special Needs Loved Ones and Americans
Imagine!’s SmartHomes team is always looking for examples of how other individuals and organizations are using technology to improve the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Yesterday, Alice Brouhard and her daughter Kara visited Imagine! to meet with Imagine!’s SmartHomes guru Greg Wellems, Technology Architect Alex Andrews, and other Imagine! staffers. During the meeting the group discussed how Alice and Kara are using iPad technology in Kara’s home, as well as other apps that may be useful for individuals with a variety of disabilities.
Alice and Kara are key contributors to the Families at the Forefront of Technology Conference and are also currently heading the “Kara’s Own Voice” campaign, a petition to Apple to restore functionality to Aida Reminder, an app that provided voice reminders.
Welcome to another installment of “AppAbility” – where Imagine!’s Technology Architect Alex Andrews provides short instructional videos and reviews of apps that may be beneficial for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities or related conditions. Today, Alex offers an in-depth look at the prompting app Aida Reminder.
Since it was first created, Imagine! has been a partner in the development of CaraSolva’s CareSupport software, which automates and simplifies the daily tasks performed by nurses and professional caregivers. CaraSolova is now in the running for a $100,000 small business grant through Chase Small Business’s Mission Main Street Grants program. Please consider supporting CaraSolva’s efforts by voting for them – they only need 250 votes to move to the next round! Simply click below and vote to help CaraSolva and Imagine! continue to move forward with designing software that improves the lives of individuals with disabilities. Voting ends Friday, June 19.
Yesterday, Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Mandy and Site Supervisor Shannon Bundy attended the 2015 NASDDS Director’s Forum and Mid-Year Conference. Mandy participated in the self-advocate marketplace and sold some of her books. She learned a lot about how she wants to grow in her book publishing business. She has named her business “Mandy's Creative Corner.” Mandy told everyone at the conference her favorite book she has written is “Alice’s Adventures.”
Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome residents John and Lana were having way too much fun cooking healthy chicken noodle soup with SmartHome volunteer Rebecca recently, and we just had to share a photo!
Today, we’d like to introduce you to Emily, the newest resident at Imagine!’s Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont. We are so excited to have her as part of the SmartHome family! Check out the video below to learn more about Emily and her amazing journey.
This week’s Technology Tuesday is another exciting edition of “Chris’s Corner,” featuring a musical update from Chris Baumgart, Imagine!’s Assistive Technology Specialist.
Chris’s Corner
Down on the corner, out in the street
Welcome back, fellow Corner-ians!
When last we checked in over at Imagine!'s CORE/labor Source department, we were reviewing their MIDI over WiFi setups that allow class participants to use iPads as musical instruments. If you missed any of those previous posts, you can follow up by clicking any of the links below:
The newest development in the MIDI over Wifi setup is this: In addition to using iPads as musical instruments, people can also use tablets or their SmartPhones as remotes to control the setup. Essentially, anyone on the Wireless Network has a portable mixer at their fingertips! This is exciting for many reasons, the ‘Wow this is super cool’ factor being just one of them. More than the ‘cool’ factor, this tool also allows instructors to work with participants directly to promote a cooperative experience.
For example, when one participant is really engaged in using an instrument, an instructor can solo that instrument immediately by increasing the volume for that channel, then blending the levels once more when the solo is finished. This also allows instructors to fine tune the mix on-the-fly.
Additionally, if there are multiple instructors using multiple remotes, any changes made by one remote are reflected onto all other remotes on the network simultaneously. The app that makes all of this possible is called TouchOSC, and is available for iOS or Android devices. If you’d like more information on the TouchOSC app, or how to use it, follow this link.
Pictured below are two instructors, each featuring a participant’s solo during an adaptive orchestra class.
Since these original photos were taken, I’ve made a few upgrades to the remote we’re using. Now each remote is equipped with volume faders for up to 7 channels, Equalizer knobs for each channel, master volume, and buttons to transpose all instruments into the same key. The new board looks like this:
Check out this video, which demonstrates all of these tools in action!
Last Friday was National Donut Day. Here’s a picture of Rae, who lives in Imagine!’s Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome, celebrating in a most appropriate way.
Nicole and Piper (a therapy dog) are volunteers at Imagine!’s Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder. Nicole enjoys sharing her time catching up with residents about what new is happening in their lives. Piper believes in the golden rule of “barking less and wagging more.”
Thank you Nicole and Piper for sharing your smiles, time, and wags with Imagine!.
Last week, the Daily Camera ran an article about Imagine!’s Technology Architect Alex Andrews, his national Direct Support Professional of the Year Award, and how he is using technology to change the lives of individuals served by Imagine!. If you missed it, check it out below by clicking on the images, or click here.
On Monday, SmartHomes guru Greg Wellems was a presenter during the closing plenary session of the ALT.1 Assisted Living Conference in Albany, New York. Greg discussed SmartHomes technology and the future of residential care. Way to go, Greg!
Welcome to a new feature for our Technology Tuesday posts – “AppAbility” – where Imagine!’s Technology Architect Alex Andrews provides short instructional videos and reviews of apps that may be beneficial for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities or related conditions. Today we start with a review of Visual Impact, created by our good friends at AbleLink Technologies.
Over the weekend, Imagine! SmartHomes guru Greg Wellems took a tour of the smart home built by our good friends at Living Resources in New York. When building their home, Living Resources spoke frequently with Greg and others at Imagine! and applied what Imagine! had learned in the process to their building plans. Now, they are sharing what they have learned so far so we at Imagine! can apply those lessons as we move forward with implementing technology solutions into services for individuals with I/DD and related challenges. It is win-win-win, and we are delighted to stay in touch, share, and learn!
Imagine! has built two SmartHomes which incorporate the latest technologies to improve the quality and efficiency of service and supports for people with disabilities.
