A non-profit organisation, started by women entrepreneurs designed to find a better solution for their children with developmental disabilities, has been embracing new technology in order to expand upon its services and deliverables. The focus of the company is with fighting the horrendous caregiver talent shortage.
Taking one U.S. state in order to provide an example of this shortage and the associated impact, there are 80,000 people in the state of Ohio with developmental disabilities, and although the state dedicates $4 billion annually, that is only enough to serve half of the people with needs.
Additionally, the pandemic and ongoing worker shortage is adding a weight to an already strained industry, according to Susan Brownknight, CEO, LADD. The smart digital technology and supports is designed to anticipate challenges and threats to safety and resolve them before they happen, allowing staff to intervene only when needed instead of being present 24/7.
This situation is being addressed by implementing what is described as a ‘state-of-the-art’ smart home technology to solve this problem. Behind the solution is Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled (LADD), a Cincinnati-area non-profit started by mothers in 1975 dedicated to empowering adults with developmental disabilities. Now the company is using technology to push forward the aims of the project and empower individuals through the smart home concept.
LADD is working to solve problems with smart home technology, taking a typical $90,000/year salary and slashing that cost to less than $1,000 per month. The application of the technology has been growing in popularity among the aging adult population.
One of the limitations for further expansion has been due to the service model not being applied to address the needs of the developmentally disabled. The smart home helps to address the talent shortage.
In order to boost its offering, LADD is seeking to grow with two new homes set to open in Cincinnati this June and plans to expand throughout Ohio in the coming years. In the longer-term, the firm aims to build a model that can be replicated across the U.S.
For the launch, a first-of-its-kind smart home pilot opened late 2021. This currently houses four men. After a year of monitoring the pilot program, LADD calculated they reduced staff time by over 100 hours per week.
Through the technology, LADD is seeking to address growing demand, the high cost of services, and staffing shortages.
To make the technology more widely available, LADD is working in partnership with Xavier University Department of Occupational Therapy, so that a digital toolkit can be produced and shared with other entities.
The technology also seeks to put data to good use. There are some 100 pieces of technology in the homes, and these can produce meaningful data to further help the residents live independent lives.
This is through helping residents order groceries, set reminders for daily tasks like taking medications, and providing sensory assistance by changing the temperature and lighting in a room. 24/7 video calling is available if a resident needs assistance, but the smart home takes out the constant need to have someone present.
