Nicole Scanu wasn’t shy about showing how excited she was to move into the state’s first barrier-free Smart House for people with developmental and physical disabilities.
Living Resources unveiled the Smart House, located off Ardsley Road in Guilderland, on Tuesday, Jan. 21, which harness technology to allow residents to maintain an independent lifestyle.
Scanu, 27, who is one of the first two residents, also used technology to help share her feelings to a gaggle of video cameras and reporters attending the grand opening. Through a small sticker placed on her forehead, she was able to move a cursor on a tablet and have the computer speak her sentence aloud.
“This house means a lot to me,” Scanu said.
The cost to build the innovative house was funded through a $650,000 grant from the state, with Sen. Neil Breslin securing the funding. Private funding was also used to integrate technology into the building, which BBL Construction Services designed and built.
The home features a universally accessible, energy-efficient design, along with advanced technology integrated into the building to assist with everyday tasks such as lowering or raising the blinds via iPad. Six individuals will be moving into the house, which is hooked up to solar panels on site providing electricity and hot water.
“A house like this gives them so much control over their environment,” CEO of Living Resources Fredrick Erlich said. “It is a wonderful thing to not depend on staff for everything.”
Hannaford Supermarket provided $50,000 toward the kitchen, which features self-closing cabinets and drawers, an induction stovetop that’s never hot to the touch, special cookware to heat food safely and LED lighting with sensor capabilities. All counters and cabinets are compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
Residents can also research recipes in the kitchen and receive step-by-step audio instructions from an iPad while preparing a meal. The iPad, which utilizes AbleLink technology, allows residents to control entertainment systems and video monitoring.
“We commend Living Resources for their extraordinary vision and commitment to building sustainable, green homes in the Capital District, which truly enhances the lives of individuals with disabilities and the elderly,” Molly Tarleton, a spokeswoman for Hannaford, said in a statement.
Breslin said he hopes the Smart House will help lead to a time when people can’t imagine living in anything less than technologically savvy home.
There are many technology features, but the core design of the house is all about accessibility. The home features an open, single-level floor plan using natural lighting and automatic lighting in some areas. Expanded bathrooms also allow for better mobility. Medical supports for tracking medications and vital signs run through the Internet.
Erlich views the home as a starting point for the nonprofit and other organizations to build more homes throughout the state.
“We see this as a start … to look at ways that agencies like Living Resources and technology that is already out there in the market place could be brought together, and we can work at ways of helping people to remain independent,” Erlich said, “whether they are intellectually and developmentally disabled, have a brain injury, or just got older and want to remain independent.”
Living Resources, a nonprofit, houses 36 individuals in homes no longer meeting the needs of residents. There are an additional 31 people on a waiting list for upgraded barrier-free housing. People may experience difficulties with mobility, memory, vision, hearing and heart conditions as they get older, but these problems could be compounded if someone also suffers from cognitive disabilities.
Erlich said the organization projects up to a third of its group home residents would reach the age of 60 over the next decade, which will increase the demand for independent living facilities.
“The combination of emerging health issues among the aging population and the structural limitations of housing that no longer accommodates the needs of consumers can no longer be tolerated,” Erlich said. “Building more homes with advanced technology and capabilities is a critical step in the search to find compassionate solutions to the challenges of caring for one of the more vulnerable segments of our population.”
