Exploring technology for your independence

Introduction

Technology can be used in many ways to help you optimise your independence and safety. Once you have worked out the areas in which you want or need support, it can be worth looking into the ways technology could be utilised to add to, improve or complement your other supports.

For this chapter, you will be asked to consider where technology could be used to build on your other supports. Before you start, go back and review the paid supports you considered in Planning Your Supports (Stage 2, Chapter 4), and the risk-planning that you did in Managing Risks (Stage 2, Chapter 6); you might have already identified areas where technology can help reduce your staffing requirements or avoid potential risks in certain areas.  

If you haven’t yet considered technology, now that you have a clearer idea about your new living situation it is a good time to reflect on whether technology offers any solutions that could be useful to you moving forward.

Using technology in daily life

There are many ways that people use technology to build their independence. Some of these may already be part of your everyday life, such as smartphones, mobility aids or devices that assist your communication.  

Providing a complete list of all potential technologies would not be possible as new tools evolve quickly and can be used for many purposes. However, some options that are currently available include:

Security and risk management

• Cameras and household alarms – doorbell cameras, personal alarms, household alarms and video cameras can be great assets for ensuring your personal security around the house. (See Privacy and consent, below.)
  

• Household security – doors that are self-locking or that can be opened with a code or fingerprint, as well as sensor lights, can all give you greater freedom to come and go from your home safely.  
  

• Geotag devices – geotags can be used to track where a person is or help locate important items. This can be done through the geotag function of a phone, watch or a specific tag attached to clothing or important items. (See Privacy and consent, below.)

Health and medical support

• Personal alarms – health alarms, seizure monitors and panic alarms can be put in place for peace of mind and assistance in an emergency.
  

• Medication support – blister packs and electronic pill containers that have timers and reminders or with the ability to send notifications to people outside of the house; all these can minimise the risk of not taking medication, or taking it twice.

Schedules and time management

• Alarms and notifications – reminders can be set up on phones or devices to complete tasks or prompt action. Purpose-built apps exist that are specifically designed to support people who struggle in this area.
  

• Smart Home Devices – tools such as Alexa and Google Home can provide clear ‘spoken’ instructions, be used to set timers, or, if you set up integrated systems, can offer voice control for lights, curtains, door locks and all sorts of other electronic systems in your home.

Household activities

• Household appliances – around the kitchen, for example, there are lots of options to adjust technology to suit the things you might find challenging. These include air fryers that cook for set times, turn off automatically and are generally more accessible for people with limited mobility. Other options include Thermomixers, microwaves and taps that dispense boiling water.

Staffing and staff management

• Communication – if a staff member is visiting for the purpose of visually checking something, a video call might be sufficient and help you save on staffing costs. If you are trying to keep multiple people connected, then using services with group chat functions can be very helpful.  
  

• Online staff monitoring and support – there are plenty of digital tools available for timesheets and staff supervision, such as managing how people log into shifts and record what they did during their time at work.

Other apps and digital tools

It is worth spending time to look at some of the apps available and find the tools that will make the biggest impact in your new living situation. There are apps for managing money, tracking health, reminders, task- or goal-tracking and many more.

Finding creative uses for technology

With so many tools available on the market, it has become possible to build your own custom support strategies by using technology outside of its originally intended use. Taking a creative approach to these tools can uncover new ways to use them to support you in your daily life.  

For example, apps that connect to a security system are often designed to send an alert to a designated phone when a door is opened or movement is detected. If it is important for someone to know when you come home at night, using a system like this can mean you don’t need to have someone on site, which can reduce your need for paid supports (see the example of Kara in the scenarios below).  

There are also many useful tools that are not targeted to the disability community but can bring a lot of support. In particular, it can be valuable to look at supports catering to those with dementia or to children, as often these resources can be applicable to those within the disability community.  

Privacy and consent

When considering any technological solutions, especially when they involve recording or monitoring someone else, it is important you consider privacy and consent.  

While it might offer peace of mind to have cameras recording what is happening in the house, you need to weigh this up with everyone’s right to privacy in their own home. This includes all members of the household, as well as staff and guests in the home.  

Technology costs and funding

Depending on your disability supports, you may be able to get some or all of your technology supports covered by your disability funding. Different funding streams have different rules about what technology can be paid for and often it depends on your specific circumstances. It is worth talking with your disability support providers, Work and Income (WINZ) and any organisations helping you with accessing mobility equipment to see if they can help.  

Creating a back-up plan

If technology is something you will rely on, especially for safety, then it is important to think about how you will manage if you have an issue, such as a power outage or damage to the technology. Does a manual support option need to be considered as a back-up in those rare occasions?  

This is an important topic to discuss with your support team.

Staying up to date

Technology evolves rapidly, so it is recommended that you check in regularly to discover any new tools or applications. Talking to others can be a good way to hear about any new developments and to discover new ways that you can use technology in your daily life.  

Where to start

Exploring technology for your independence

Once you have worked out the areas where you want or need support, it can be worth looking into the ways technology could be utilised to add to, improve or complement your other supports.

Next steps

1. Read through the example scenarios below.

2. Use the worksheet to brainstorm ideas about how technology could be used to support your needs and improve your experience of your new living situation.