Over the last two decades, medical technology has gotten progressively better. But the number of service members who are coming back with post-traumatic stress injuries and missing limbs has continued to climb.
One charitable organization is taking a futuristic approach to veterans’ recent challenges by designing smart homes, built to empower them with real independence.
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, based in Staten Island, New York, is working with general contractors and architects to design and build smart homes specifically to meet the needs of disabled veterans. So far, the foundation has spent more than $60 million on more than 75 smart homes toward their goal of building 200 smart homes for wounded and injured service members. It’s similar to what actor Gary Sinise is doing with his own foundation to help veterans.
The smart home technology that the foundation employs in these smart homes for veterans is not only smart, but also clever and purposeful. Among a variety of high-tech features, the homes employ a multi-zone audio system for the treatment of post-traumatic stress injury, motorized entry and exit doors, and a centralized phone system with room-to-room intercom and front door communications.