BURLINGTON — Do you ever feel anxious wondering if you left the oven on or whether you closed the door?
At an open house at the University of Vermont, visitors explored a recreated apartment with low- and high-tech devices that could make it easier to live independently and make people less worried.
Designed to benefit anyone — but particularly older adults and people with disabilities — these innovative devices can assist with everyday tasks and enhance independent living, as demonstrated by UVM students in the occupational therapy program at Friday’s open house.
“If you would ask most people, most people would prefer to be independent and prefer to stay in their homes as long as they can,” said Victoria Priganc, program director for the UVM occupational therapy program.
An oven that can be controlled via smartphone or set on a timer, a remote control for locking and unlocking doors, and a “bed ladder” to assist those with limited trunk strength were some of the tools showcased.
The students providing information about the devices at the event are all enrolled in the college’s new occupational therapy program. The University of Vermont launched the program last year in response to the growing demand for occupational therapy services in Vermont, according to a press release from the university on Nov. 22.
“The whole promise behind occupational therapy is to really help people wherever they’re at in life to do what they want to do as independently as they can,” Priganc said.
The device that drew the most “wows” was the Samsung smart fridge, featuring a sleek touchscreen control panel that responds to touch and voice commands. The high-tech appliance can assist with creating grocery lists, planning meals and tracking expiration dates, students said.
For those who find it difficult to open the fridge door, an internal camera allows users to check its contents from the outside, with the option to label items with the touchscreen keyboard for easy organization. The smart fridge can also connect to smartphones, enabling users to view what’s inside while grocery shopping.
Another crowd favorite was the “tornado dryer,” a whole-body built-in air dryer in the bathtub area that activates with the push on a button. With different settings, it provides a convenient and accessible alternative to using towels, making post-bath drying easier for those in need of mobility assistance.
Another bathroom feature was the cut-out part of the bathtub, allowing users to step directly into the tub without having to climb over the edge. It offers a safer, more accessible option and is not as expensive as one might think, according to Priganc.
“It doesn’t cost that much to have a company come in and do that,” Priganc said. “That’s a lower tech solution for people who really can’t get into the bath.”
The bathroom also had adjustable handles, a heated toilet seat inspired by Japanese toilets and a tap that changes color according to the water temperature, helping people with sensory issues.
The devices on display vary widely in price, from affordable options to high-tech gadgets costing several thousand dollars. For instance, the Samsung smart fridge is priced at $2,399, while the bed ladder, a simple tool to assist people with limited trunk strength in pulling themselves up, only costs a couple of dollars.
The smart apartment also included voice-activated controls for lights, appliances, and adaptive tools for eating and reading.
“It was through collaboration and clinical experience that we decided what we put in the lab (open house),” Priganc said.
Helping out at the open house was Allie Kelly, a consultant from the assistive technology program, a partnership with the college’s Center on Disability and Community Inclusion and Vermont’s Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living.
Kelly had a table full of different buttons to help turn on a ventilator, leave a Zoom meeting or control a tablet. She said the Vermont Assistive Technology Program has hundreds of tech devices that people can try out.
“People can try out these devices for 30 days for free before they make a decision to buy it,” Kelly said.
