HESTIA Team Rolls Out Plans for New Apps

HESTIA, Projects

The HESTIA project began in 2014 as a multi-faceted assessment, designed to identify problems in the home environment that could be impede a person’s ability to successfully live independently. In 2020, the HESTIA project was awarded NIDILRR DRPP funding to continue with the next steps in expanding the project. The initial development of HESTIA focused on optimizing the data collection component of this system. With this NIDILRR DRPP funding, our next focus is on the development of two apps that will provide a complete report for both consumers and stakeholders. These two apps are myHESTIA and HESTIApro.  

MyHESTIAis a resource for individuals who require assistive technology to live independently at home. The app provides home modification solutions to allow for increased ability for elderly populations to age in place. This app is particularly targeted at people living with disabilities and their care partners and does not require extensive knowledge of home accessibility or assistive technology. The report provided with myHESTIA will identify current risks in the home environment and will guide the user via home interventions tailored to their specific needs. Depending on the intervention chosen, a referral to a professional could be recommended.  

HESTIApro is an intervention planning tool that can be used to provide options for improvement following the creation of a home environment’s problem list. This app will provide alternative interventions that can be specifically selected by an occupational therapist or other rehabilitation professional. This app can be used as an intervention planning tool for allied health professionals to plan for patient discharge and improve home safety outcomes.  

The HESTIA project is supported by funding from the US Department of HHS/ACL, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). Other HESTIA project partners are Columbia University, Texas Woman’s University, Marquette University and Independence First. For more information regarding the HESTIA project go to: https://wwwdev.uwm.edu/r2d2/projects/hestia/