Remote Supports is a service provided by Remote Supports Professionals using communication and technology devices to support people with disabilities from a separate location.
Through a variety of safety sensors and two-way communication devices such as smartphones, tablets, and smart watches, Night Owl Support Systems (NOSS) provides a safety net for people who need some support, but who are not in need of around-the-clock, in-home care.
NOSS currently offers these 24/7/365 services to people in 21 states across the country to provide greater independence and self-determination for individuals with a wide range of physical, congenital, age-related, intellectual, autism spectrum and other disability considerations.
Around-the-clock in-home care provides essential hands-on support. For individuals who value independence and personal space, Remote Supports can be the perfect complement. Remote Supports allows people to spend time as they wish without interjection from a Direct Support Professional (DSP) or natural support (family, friend, et cetera) person continually in their space. We don’t replace in-home care, but rather enhance options by giving individuals more control over when and how support is delivered. With Remote Supports, individuals can have in-person staff when they’re needed and get remote-supported alone time when they don’t.
Historically, many people with disabilities haven’t been offered the independence to enjoy spending time by themselves. Remote Supports invites people to enjoy their time while having NOSS Remote Support Professionals (RSPs) available to respond.
Our primary concern is the individuals who we support; adults who live with a broad range of physical, developmental and intellectual disabilities.
Remote Supports benefit adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities, people seeking to age in place, and individuals with I/DD transitioning from more restrictive settings or a parent’s home into the community.
Three core benefits are typically seen with Remote Supports:
At present, our services are available in 21 states across the country. Remote Supports services are often paid for through Medicaid waivers, and private pay.
We continually advocates for Remote Supports to become a more broadly accepted option for individuals with disabilities. NOSS is an innovator in the Remote Supports field and we lead the Coalition for the Advancement and Integration of Remote Support Services (CAIRSS) to advance acceptance throughout the country.
To discuss the potential for NOSS Remote Supports in your state or region, please reach out to us at info@nossllc.com, or send a message through our Contact Form.
Our Remote Supports headquarters is in Madison, Wisconsin. Each of our Remote Supports Professionals (RSPs) work at our central location, ensuring that all correspondence and data is secure.
We created Night Owl Support Systems to instill and support independence and self-determination for people with disabilities, not to surveil people in their homes.
Our phones, tablets, pagers and other smart communication devices begin transmitting audio or video correspondence when the individual initiates or accepts the call. Otherwise, our devices don’t “listen” or record video. If individuals decide to purchase external door Ring cameras, access can be shared with NOSS to help ensure home safety and security.
Door, window, flood, temperature, smoke detectors, bed and other sensors communicate crucial feedback indicating (for example) if a person’s stove may have been left on, a tub could be overflowing, or if they’re waking at unexpected times of night.
Some people prefer to communicate through video calls on a tablet or smartphone, a communication method we support. Those cameras don’t send video footage when we’re not actively on a call that has been either initiated or answered by the supported individual.
No.
All of our devices are elective, which means they do not listen or record when not in use. Audio or video is only activated when an individual elects two-way communication by calling or answering/texting/responding or when a sensor is activated.
NOSS has battery backups at all RSP workstations, a backup generator capable of powering the entire central Remote Supports station, and services from multiple phone and internet carriers. We even have a separate offsite backup facility.
We’ve got you covered.
Plenty of people! Technological advances over the past decade have greatly increased our capacity for individuals who we can support. We’re proud to safely support many people, who, just a few years ago, we would never have imagined flourishing using Remote Supports.
To start with, people who seek alone time, independence in their scheduling, and a desire for self-determination are excellent candidates. People who live in group housing situations and who can be supported to stay home rather than attending group activities they’re not interested in have excellent potential.
Our Consumer Relations team works closely with each individual’s support team to assess their unique needs, goals, and any potential concerns. Together, we explore various scenarios and determine which technology solutions can be customized to best support a person’s specific situation.
This collaborative approach ensures that Remote Supports are not only effective but also appropriate and person-centered.
Alternatively, it’s not uncommon for us to determine a person is not, or is no longer, a good fit for our services. Individual needs and capabilities evolve over time and that’s the reason we regularly check in with the people we support and their care teams to ensure that NOSS services remain a match for their situation. Ultimately, the health and safety of each individual is our highest priority, even if that means transitioning away from NOSS services is in their best interest.
Our Consumer Relations team works closely with each individual’s support team to assess their unique needs, goals, and any potential concerns. Together, we explore various scenarios and determine which technology solutions can be customized to best support the individual’s specific situation.
This collaborative approach ensures that Remote Supports are not only effective but also appropriate and person-centered.
Wi-Fi is ideal, though our equipment is capable of operating via cellular networks if Wi-Fi is not available. We can also work with landline telephone connections.
Our Remote Supports system operates with a combination of either cellular with Wi-Fi backup or landline with cellular backup. Our equipment can work with the connectivity you options available in your home and contain redundancies to ensure continuing operation in the event of a disruption to connection.
The NOSS Panel, the central hub of the technology placed in an individual's home, has a battery backup that works in excess of 8 hours after power is interrupted, which is plenty of time to enact contingency plans if necessary.
