Technology Tuesday

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.

Back in December, we showed you a video of Lana using a prompting system to fill her own Medication Reminder Box. In addition, two other residents, John and Karen, had decided to follow in her example and become more independent with their medications as well.

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!

Check Out The Latest SmartHomes Newsletter

Imagine!’s latest SmartHomes newsletter is available online.

Check it out here.  

Thanks For The Support!

Last week we asked you to support Imagine! and our partners CaraSolva via Facebook, and wow, did you come through!

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.

Technology Tuesday

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!

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Mandy's Latest Book

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.

Click here to learn more. 

Families at the Forefront of Technology Conference Set For Oct. 23-25

Save The Date! 

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

October 23-25, 2015 Viceroy Hotel, Snowmass, CO. 

For more information or to register, click here.

Kara and Alice Visit Imagine!

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.

Check out that campaign here.