Safety Connection: How technology & human support enable independent living

This month, we are very excited to hear from Howard Center employees Cathie Buscaglia, Director of Innovation, and Kevin Hutt, Safety Connection Senior Manager. They will tell us about Safety Connection, an innovative program which combines health and wellness monitoring technologies with in-person support to help people live independently in the community of their choice.

For over a decade, Safety Connection has provided overnight support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who wish to pursue the goal of living on their own. This unique combination of state-of-the-art monitoring technology, clinically trained operators, and a compassionate Community of Care team provides a flexible framework which supports independent living. Nightly check-ins by Safety Connection operators provide participants with a sense of connection to a larger community, and daily activity reporting provides case managers with crucial information to help participants achieve their goals. Due to its success, Safety Connection is poised to expand outside of the developmental disability community to help older adults and individuals with chronic conditions to age in place and/or live safely at home.

The aging of the US population has tremendous implications for the health care industry, both as employers of an older workforce and as providers of services to a growing number of older Americans. How we address these challenges locally will be critical to what it means for Vermonters who wish to age in place and remain active and engaged in their communities.

About Our Speakers

Cathie Buscaglia is the Director of Innovation for Howard Center in Burlington, Vermont. She has twenty plus years of experience working in the field of developmental disabilities creating innovative programs that meet the diverse needs of people with disabilities. She has been involved with Safety Connection since its inception and works every day to challenge the status quo and bring new ideas to action.

Kevin Hutt is the Senior Manager of Safety Connection Services at Howard Center. Kevin began his career in disability services over twenty-five years ago as a classroom teacher at the Baird Center in Burlington. In 2006, he joined the newly formed Safety Connection program as a central station operator. In his current role, Kevin manages Safety Connection operations at Howard Center and is working to bring this exciting program to the general public.

You won’t want to miss this inspiring presentation and Q&A! Looking forward to seeing you there.

Katie and Kerry

SCHEDULE
6:00-6:30 networking (we'll have some snacks and beverages for you)
6:30-7:30 presentation and Q&A
7:30-8:30 networking