Tools for Independence

TOOLS for Independence

In 2007, over 13 million Boomers were caring for one or both of their parents. Another 21 million people across different age groups were caring for other family members, partners and/or friends.

Focus groups conducted by the national Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) found that Boomers who are caregivers want access to trustworthy and reliable information about products and devices that will help ease their caregiving burdens as well as maintain their own health and independence as they age.

Building on this need, under the guidance of Board Members Raymond Mastalish and Michael Carbine, the Independent Living Partnership began publishing the monthly TOOLS for Independence newsletter for  caregivers to help them locate and make informed purchasing decisions about assistive technology products that can help them ease their caregiving burdens and make life at home easier and safer.

The objective of the Tools For Independence newsletter was to be a resource for EVERYONE who is caring for a parent or loved one with a physical impairment that makes everyday living more difficult.  Since our first issue in April of 2009 we have brought the reader descriptions and information about the availability of enabling daily living devices and gadgets.  A huge body of information about assistive products is and will continue to be available in the issue archives here.

Staffing and funding considerations in 2017 necessitated review and alteration of our nonprofit’s services, and it is our belief that the huge quantity of assistive and enabling devices and gadgets that we have profiled over 8 years provides the significant resource for caregivers and aging and disability challenges that we envisioned.

Please use the resource that we have provided and refer others to the issue archives that we will maintain at ILPconnect.org.