Three woman standing together outside in the fall.

Using Technology to Support Independence

February 16, 2023

An exciting new project is giving people the tools and support they need to live independently. 

Service Enhanced Apartment Living (SEAL) was launched in 2019 in Cambridge, Minnesota, and with support from the Minnesota Department of Human Services is now expanding to serve people in Benton, Kanabec, and Mille Lacs Counties. Through technology-enhanced monitoring and remote support, individuals with disabilities have a new chance for independence and a better quality of life. 

SEAL uses assistive technology installed within apartments and houses that look just like any other home in the community. An electronic monitor might remind you that the stove is on or that a window was left open, or an alarm might inform a support crew that someone has fallen. An electronic dispenser helps keep residents on schedule with their medications. But it’s not just tech. Compassionate VOA Direct Support Professionals are available with a click of a button, around the clock, to help if challenges arise. At other times people just need someone to talk with, and that’s okay too. 

Take a look at how one SEAL participant and others like her are working with SEAL to reclaim their health and independence - expanding the limits of their possibilities.