Effect of Consumer Direction on Adults' Personal Care and Well-Being in Arkansas, New Jersey, and Florida

This report examines the effects of the Cash and Counseling program in three states — Arkansas, Florida, and New Jersey — regarding how consumer direction affects the use and quality of both paid and unpaid personal care assistance received by consumers, as measured by consumers' satisfaction with care, the frequency of unmet needs, and the incidence of adverse health events arising from inadequate care. More than half the evaluation sample is elderly or cognitively impaired, and thus the success of the program for these consumers should help to address worries about offering consumer-directed care to this population. [88 PDF pages]