Consumer-directed care is a service delivery model that offers chronically impaired individuals and their informal caregivers more choice, control, and flexibility in designing and managing their own community-based, in-home supportive services. The highest level of consumer direction involves the direct hiring, scheduling, supervising, and dismissing of in-home workers. The model promotes individual empowerment by putting resources directly in the hands of consumers. This paper reports on 12-month findings of a randomized controlled trial currently in progress that is examining the effect of a consumer-directed voucher on health-related quality of life for a moderately to severely impaired, community-dwelling Medicare population (N=1,600). Health-related quality of life is measured through eight scales of the SF-36 Health Survey: physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional, and mental health.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant will be able to 1) describe the assumptions underlying consumer-directed care; 2) identify the issues associated with implementing a consumer-directed model with impaired, older adults; and 3) understand the impact of a consumer-directed voucher benefit on health-related quality of life for an impaired, Medicare population.
Keywords: Consumer Direction, Quality of Life
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.