When the diagnosis of ALS is given, doctors usually quote the outdated prognosis that the disease is invariably fatal with an average of 3 to 5 years to live. This is simply not true. The correct statement is that about 50% of those diagnosed will experience declining breathing capacity between 3 and 5 years to the point to where they will need to rely on technological assistance to sustain their breathing and life. The ALS Residence Initiative (ALSRI) was created with the mission to demonstrate that ALS is a not only a survivable condition but that existing technology can be applied to restore independence and facilitate a long, enjoyable, and productive life.

The first ALS Residence opened March of 2010 in the Leonard Florence Center for Living in Chelsea, MA. It was named the Steve Saling ALS Residence for the man who inspired and designed an environment where even the nearly locked-in can live and thrive with dignity and a good measure of independence. It is licensed as full-scale nursing home but is developed as the first urban GreenHouse® in America. You are encouraged to watch the video below to get a glimpse of the compassion, dedication, and technology with which some exceedingly disabled individuals, including Steve, have surrounded themselves.

There is a dire need for residential living options for the chronically disabled. The ALS & MS Residences within the Leonard Florence Center for Living represent the first in a new generation of specialty care that focuses as much on QUALITY OF LIFE as it does on quantity.

The ALS Residence Initiative supports the opportunity for people with ALS (pALS) to live an active and fun-filled life. The ALS Residence has sponsored skydiving, downhill skiing, a trip to Disney World, trips to the Museum of Science and Fine Arts, Red Sox games, concerts, restaurants, and more. ALS is not the end of life, just a change in its direction.

PEAC is a comprehensive automation system that allows total environmental control of any electrical device for the disabled - even the nearly locked-in. The PEAC system can be accessed and operated by any wireless device with a web browser including laptop and tablet computers, iPad and iPhones, Droids and any internet enabled phone. Until medicine proves otherwise, technology IS the cure.