REMOTE SUPPORTS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE COST- EFFECTIVE THAN IN-PERSON AND ON-SITE STAFF. SAVINGS EXCEEDING $50,000 PER PERSON THROUGH SIMPLYHOME’S REMOTE TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION. In South Carolina, over 9,000 individuals with I/DD faced a waiting list for residential support due to insufficient funding. In response, The Carles Lea Center (CLC) took proactive steps by partnering with SimplyHome, a leader in enabling technology and remote support consulting services. By integrating Simply- Home’s technology and remote support, CLC reduced the cost of providing client support to approximately $100 per day per individual, compared to $200 per day without technology (Sim- plyHome, 2016b). This initiative resulted in annual savings exceeding $50,000 per person through SimplyHome’s remote technology imple- mentation. These positive outcomes significantly improved ac- cessibility to care, ensuring individuals received timely and ef- fective support. AFFORDABLE AUTONOMY FOR INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING REMOTE SUPPORT The Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) sector faces significant challenges in delivering quality care due to the high overhead costs and staff burnout associated with institutional, in-person care models. These operational pressures have exacer- bated workforce shortages, severely limiting the sector's capaci- ty to meet increasing demand. The use of remote support, particularly remote direct support professionals (rDSPs), presents a promising solution to these challenges. While still in its early stages, rDSP services show po- tential in enhancing the independence of care recipients, allevi- ating DSP staffing shortages, and expanding care capacity. REMOTE SUPPORT HOLDS SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL TO REVOLUTIONIZE THE CURRENT CARE MODEL AND ENHANCE ACCESSIBILITY TO CARE FOR ALL. In one SimplyHome case study, an individual receiving re- mote support realized annual savings of $78,629 by incorporat- ing technology into their independent living arrangement rath- er than opting for assisted living (SimplyHome, 2016b). Innovative Resources for Independence (IRI), a New York- based provider, saw close to 20% of residents transition to in- dependent living after using SimplyHome’s remote support ser- vices. (SimplyHome, 2016c). With benefits for both providers and recipients, remote sup- port holds significant potential to revolutionize the current care model and enhance accessibility to care for all. However, the field of remote support continues to evolve with ongoing inno- vations, among the most notable being remote DSPs.
communication devices. These supports frequently include app and phone functionalities for tasks such as managing medica- tion adherence, ensuring cooking safety, and preventing wan- dering or falls. They offer customizable alerts and prompts tai- lored to individual preferences, ensuring timely and effective assistance.
OPERATIONAL BENEFITS FOR LTSS PROVIDERS Remote supports are significantly more cost-effective than in-person and on-site staff (Wager, Tasse, Davies, & Stock, 2018), making it feasible to efficiently serve a larger population with- out increasing personnel or overtime hours for staff.
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