ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY TOOLKIT
Contents currently available
• Communication — Chattervox
• Computers and related items — Big Grips Slim, Big Grips Wedge, Contour Roller Mouse, Heated Mouse, iPad Air 2, Logitech Trackman Marble, ModularHose, Zoomtext Keyboard
• Daily Living — Amazon Echo, Angled Hair Brush, BipGrip Pen Grip, Clarity Phone with Picture Dialing, Denture Brush, Easy Reach Seat Belt Handle, Freedom Dinnerware, Freedom Wand Kit, Good Grips Button Hook, Good Grips Rocker Knife, Granny Jo Dignity Mug, Health Smart Digital Thermometer, Long Handle Reacher, Long Handle Shoe Horn, Long Handle Sponge, Non-Slip Place Mat, Personal Pager, Pro Styling Stand, Reminder Rosie, Safety Tape, SmartSensor Light, Sock Aid, Tactile Timer, Ubend-it Fork, Ubend-it Spoon, Utensil Holder, Waterproof Cutting Board
• Hearing — PocketTalker Ultra, TV Soundbox
• Mobility, Seating and Positioning — Home Bed Assist Handle, Deluxe Swivel Seat Cushion, Handybar
• Recreation, Sports and Leisure — Easi Grip Trowel, Playing Card Holder
• Vision — Full Sheet Magnifier, Lighted Magnifier
Source: Tools for Life, Georgia's Assistive Technology Act Program
Having the right tools to assist with daily living means continued independence for older adults, and that can make a difference for those wanting to age in their own homes.
Through the state's Area Agencies on Aging, seniors can discover what they need, what's available and — more importantly — what will work.
Four regions, including metro Atlanta, each have been awarded a $10,000 grant to create assistive technology labs to help older adults continue to live safely and independently. Each lab will house equipment that helps with daily activities such as eating, maintaining a household, grooming and bathing.
Seniors would be able to get free advice on what tools or computer apps would be most helpful, and they can even try out the equipment. Some labs may offer a lending program where individuals can take the item home and see how it works in real-life situations.
In metro Atlanta, plans are still being worked out on how to implement the grant and train staff, but a lending library is being considered, said Cheryl Mayerik, senior communications coordinator with the Atlanta Regional Commission, which will receive one of the grants. Currently, there is no timetable for the lab, she said.
Specific items or brands are not promoted or sold through the agencies, but seniors can find out what they might cost and where they can be purchased. Some agencies might help purchase items for those in need, according to the Georgia Department of Human Services.
Assistive technologies range from low-tech to high-tech devices designed to help with daily activities. Labs would include simple items such as a magnifying glass for those with low vision, but also the high-tech Amazon Echo, a voice-controlled smart home gadget.
"The mission is to make sure people have the ability to put their hands on it, to be able to try things out," said Rachel Wilson, assistive technology specialist with Tools for Life, Georgia's Assistive Technology Act Program operated through a research center of the Georgia Tech College of Design.
Tools for Life has been responsible for supplying assistive technology toolkits to all 12 of the state’s aging offices for the past two years. The kits contain 50 items that can assist anyone with a disability and are available for seniors to view and try them out. The labs will be an expansion of the toolkit project.
In metro Atlanta, the toolkits are used to assist seniors transitioning home after rehabilitation in a nursing care facility.
As with the toolkit displays, each agency will come up with its own unique way to set up a lab, Wilson said.
One agency has already established an assistive tech lab on its own. In Brunswick, the Coastal Georgia Area on Aging has living room, bedroom and kitchen models so seniors can go inside and see exactly how assistive tech items are useful in a home setting.
The Northwest Georgia agency is considering a mobile van idea to take items directly to the public for viewing instead of having the elderly come to them. Other labs will be in West Central Georgia through the Three Rivers Regional Commission, and in metro Atlanta through the Atlanta Regional Commission.
The other aging agencies will also continue getting the toolkits, which are regularly updated with new items. Wilson said the criteria for the equipment are that it’s affordable, easy to use, and it works. Technology also plays a larger role with each upgrade.
“A lot of seniors are jumping on board with technology,” Wilson said. “As technology continues to evolve and become more intuitive to use, the anxiety and fears are lessened.”
Assistive technology with more high-tech solutions is the way of the future for seniors, said MaryLea Quinn, chairman of the Greater Atlanta chapter of Aging in Place.
Quinn said she hopes the labs will keep up with the newest technologies and out-of-the-box thinking available. She said having one place where seniors can go and view assistive items would be beneficial.
“Anytime we can raise awareness and get the word out about what’s available for seniors, it’s a win-win,” she said.
Not all challenges need a high-tech solution.
For one elderly gentleman — despondent because a stroke left him unable to continue playing cards, which he dearly loved — the answer was a $2 plastic card holder.
When Wilson showed him how to use it, he was elated. Problem solved.
