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Current Trends in Assistive Technology. Sarah Ameter Mary Green. Agenda. Opening Remarks - Our Journey with Assistive Technology to Date Current Focus and Trends Across the States Funding Implementation at Your Agency Resources. Assistive Technology.
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Current Trends in Assistive Technology Sarah Ameter Mary Green
Agenda • Opening Remarks - Our Journey with Assistive Technology to Date • Current Focus and Trends Across the States • Funding • Implementation at Your Agency • Resources
Assistive Technology Assistive Technology (AT)is an umbrella term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and also includes the process used in selecting, locating, and using them. AT promotes greater independence by enabling people to perform tasks that they were formerly unable to accomplish, or had great difficulty accomplishing, by providing enhancements to or changed methods of interacting with the technology needed to accomplish such tasks. - wikipedia
Current Focus and Trends • Remote Monitoring/Electronic Monitoring/Telecare - What is it? Telecare- is a term given to offering remote care of elderly and physically less able people, providing the care and reassurance needed to allow them to remain living in their own homes. Telecare refers to the idea of enabling people to remain independent in their own homes by providing Person-Centered technologies to support the individual or their care providers. - wikipedia
What Has Been Done? Ohio • Has a huge waiting list of 29,000+ • Workforce instability with a 43% direct care staff turn over rate and 90% of reporting employees on public assistance • Stakeholders and providers were involved with the entire process - public hearings held - workgroups developed
Ohio Two components: billed and defined differently Remote Monitoring Equipment: - provides funding for the equipment - only provider agencies can lease the equipment, the customer does not own it - capped at $5000/person/year Remote Monitoring Service: - includes back up support: on call/on site - an agency who monitors the devices, leases the equipment
Ohio • Developed an assessment tool used across the state • PCP protocol is for health and safety • Used prior to implementation with the customer • Prohibited in AFC homes and supported employment environments • Each area that is being remotely monitored has a sign posted • Regional training was provided • Agency must be certified as a tech provider
Funding • Mostly funded through the 1915c Waiver other waivers include: 1915i State Plan Options 1915k Community First Choice - some states like Ohio have asked “permission” by amending language in their waiver. Others have just moved forward interpreting their language to be flexible enough to include Telecare - key language is: “face to face” under the definition of service
Funding • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) - involve your regional office - Educate them on what you are doing and how you plan to do it Feedback from our regional office to Ohio - cautioned about using informed consent - disliked use of Telecare as a 2nd paid staff - did not want it used in licensed group home
Informed Consent • THIS IS A MUST!!!!! - make sure you are able to obtain informed consent when using this equipment - you will need to figure out how you will obtain it with an I/DD customer so they know what they are agreeing to and why it will be beneficial for them.
Implementation Education • Know what’s out there • Enterprise apps, remote monitoring apps, consumer assistance and adaptive tech • Know benefits for tech, organization and for the customers
Implementation Prioritization • Analyze “Pain Points” - what takes the most time? Costs the most money? - risk? Work flow • Where is the greatest impact? - simplify work flow, increase communication, decrease risk
Implementation Planning • Impact on organization - culture change, change in current practices - change in personnel- grow IT as an infrastructure/support (how will you support and maintain the devices) - cost: capital expenditures, on-going costs, is there a return on the investment? • Selecting effective technology - can it be customized? Does it integrate with other systems? - know when to say when: don’t over develop
Implementation Implementation • Project Management - develop a team with representation from key departments in your agency • Maintain Support • Avoid silo’d data • Build in internal competencies • Analyze trends • Maintain momentum
Implementation Maintenance and Support • Avoid “shiny” tech: try to remain focused on goals - build a tech lab where staff can come to try it out and get to know what it does - develop a curriculum to support integrating tech into your agency
Other • Set aside money/funding to test products and get to know them • Pilot a program- identify a couple of families to test • Look at benefits for customer and staff: addressing reducing services costs • Designate a “champion” to move and maintain going forward
Resources www.ancor.org www.ablenet.com www.aaidd.org http://sengistix.com/ www.imaginecolorado.org www.facebook.com/pages/Imagine-smarthomes/86609388388