Study Finds Benefits in Home Care Hiring

antiquity · 04-15-2003, 11:48 PM

Study Finds Benefits in Home Care Hiring

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 5:15 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON (AP) -- People with disabilities who rely on Medicaid to pay for help bathing, eating and housecleaning were much happier under an experimental program that let them hire the helpers, a study concludes.

Medicaid, the health care program for the poor, traditionally hires people to assist some 1.2 million people with disabilities who need help with basic activities of daily life. Under an experimental program, patients get the money directly and decide how to spend it. They can hire whomever they want to help provide care, including friends and family.

``Apparently, (participants) find that having intimate care, such as help with bathing and dressing, performed by a person of one's own choosing is much more satisfying that having it performed by a stranger,'' said the study, released Tuesday, by researchers at Mathematica Inc.

The program, called ``Cash and Counseling,'' is running in three states, and the
Bush administration would like to see it spread further. The study, published on the journal Health Affairs' Web site, examined consumer satisfaction in Arkansas' program. Future research will examine other aspects of the program and will look at its implementation in the other states, New Jersey and Florida.

The study surveyed 1,739 people who receive disability services in Arkansas' program. Just over 70 percent were age 65 and up; others were younger.

Participants received an average of $320 per month to hire helpers, buy supplies or assistive devises or modify their homes.

Disabilities that qualify for home services under Medicaid include stroke, severe congestive heart failure, spinal cord injuries, brain damage and multiple sclerosis.

People who needed home services were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or to a control group that received traditional services.

The surveys found that people in the experimental group were ``much less likely'' than the traditional group to report that paid caregivers performed poorly, and more likely to say that they performed ``exceptionally well.'' They were less likely to report unmet needs.

Further, both older and younger people in the experiment were nearly 20 percentage points more likely than others to say they were very satisfied with the way they were spending their lives.

They were also no more likely to have health problems or accidents related to their care.

Researcher Jennifer Schore, a co-author of the study, cautioned that more data is needed from other states and about other aspects of the program before it can be declared a success. Still, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson welcomed the results.

``This approach gives people with disabilities more freedom and responsibility, in the same way that all of us want to be in charge of our lives and our choices,'' he said in a statement.

The study was paid for by HHS and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
^------
Study results: http://www.healthaffairs.org/WebExcl...xcl--032603.ht m

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/health/index.html

marmalady · 04-16-2003, 03:13 AM

Ooohh - a whole $320/month - let's see, at a pay rate of an average $11/hr., that works out to a whole 29 hours of aid per MONTH!!! What is wrong with this picture?!!!!

The premise is great, don't get me wrong.

_____________
Tough times don't last - tough people do.

SCI-Nurse · 04-16-2003, 07:44 AM

Note that this is an AVERAGE. It is not princely, but certainly better than requiring that your care through agencies with little control over who your caregiver is.

I don't know about your area, but IHSS workers in our area do NOT make $11/hour, although that is a common rate for private pay. In our area IHSS workers (who can be family, friends, etc.) make $7/hour, and many people need only 1-3 hours daily. Employers are NOT legally able to supplement this pay with money, although they can provide meals, housing or transportation.

(KLD)

Brad_D · 04-16-2003, 05:38 PM

I guess times are tough. I'm paying my PCAs $14/hr out of pocket and lately I'm having a difficult time finding reliable help.

cinci · 04-16-2003, 08:44 PM

Thats typical of the bush administration to push something like this they will pay a lousy $350.00 a month so you can live happily at home with much better care for the individual, though they would gladly pay a nursing home an average of $150.00 a day.If they could just pay what a nursing home charges, people could live at home and still pay a decent wage, but then again all those crooked politicians would not get all those kickbacks from the nursing home lobbyists.Let me clarify one thing not all are crooked,just the majority. If only they could get together and pass a bill that resembles something close to the MICCASSA BILL,things would be for the better,whether it be spinal injurys,old age or what ever disability one may have. I just don't see it happening till they get rid of all the hard money and soft money big lobbyist groups and wealthy individuals give politicians to run for office and pretty much buy their vote and just go to some type of public funding that would supply egual funds to each of the candidates running for office.That would make them more likely to vote by how big a heart they have instead of how big a bank account they have,though I'm sure the latter part of my statement will never happen in our lifetime.Hopefully the first part will occur sometime in the near future.Just thought I'd voice my opinion.One more thing get your asses on the phone and keep harassing your state congressmen till we get changes.

04-15-2003, 11:48 PM	#1
antiquity Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Posts: 14,540	Study Finds Benefits in Home Care Hiring Study Finds Benefits in Home Care Hiring By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Filed at 5:15 p.m. ET WASHINGTON (AP) -- People with disabilities who rely on Medicaid to pay for help bathing, eating and housecleaning were much happier under an experimental program that let them hire the helpers, a study concludes. Medicaid, the health care program for the poor, traditionally hires people to assist some 1.2 million people with disabilities who need help with basic activities of daily life. Under an experimental program, patients get the money directly and decide how to spend it. They can hire whomever they want to help provide care, including friends and family. ``Apparently, (participants) find that having intimate care, such as help with bathing and dressing, performed by a person of one's own choosing is much more satisfying that having it performed by a stranger,'' said the study, released Tuesday, by researchers at Mathematica Inc. The program, called ``Cash and Counseling,'' is running in three states, and the Bush administration would like to see it spread further. The study, published on the journal Health Affairs' Web site, examined consumer satisfaction in Arkansas' program. Future research will examine other aspects of the program and will look at its implementation in the other states, New Jersey and Florida. The study surveyed 1,739 people who receive disability services in Arkansas' program. Just over 70 percent were age 65 and up; others were younger. Participants received an average of $320 per month to hire helpers, buy supplies or assistive devises or modify their homes. Disabilities that qualify for home services under Medicaid include stroke, severe congestive heart failure, spinal cord injuries, brain damage and multiple sclerosis. People who needed home services were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or to a control group that received traditional services. The surveys found that people in the experimental group were ``much less likely'' than the traditional group to report that paid caregivers performed poorly, and more likely to say that they performed ``exceptionally well.'' They were less likely to report unmet needs. Further, both older and younger people in the experiment were nearly 20 percentage points more likely than others to say they were very satisfied with the way they were spending their lives. They were also no more likely to have health problems or accidents related to their care. Researcher Jennifer Schore, a co-author of the study, cautioned that more data is needed from other states and about other aspects of the program before it can be declared a success. Still, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson welcomed the results. ``This approach gives people with disabilities more freedom and responsibility, in the same way that all of us want to be in charge of our lives and our choices,'' he said in a statement. The study was paid for by HHS and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. ^------ Study results: http://www.healthaffairs.org/WebExcl...xcl--032603.ht m http://www.nytimes.com/pages/health/index.html

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04-16-2003, 03:13 AM	#2
marmalady Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 3,988	Ooohh - a whole $320/month - let's see, at a pay rate of an average $11/hr., that works out to a whole 29 hours of aid per MONTH!!! What is wrong with this picture?!!!! The premise is great, don't get me wrong. _____________ Tough times don't last - tough people do.

04-16-2003, 07:44 AM	#3
SCI-Nurse Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: USA Posts: 41,331	Note that this is an AVERAGE. It is not princely, but certainly better than requiring that your care through agencies with little control over who your caregiver is. I don't know about your area, but IHSS workers in our area do NOT make $11/hour, although that is a common rate for private pay. In our area IHSS workers (who can be family, friends, etc.) make $7/hour, and many people need only 1-3 hours daily. Employers are NOT legally able to supplement this pay with money, although they can provide meals, housing or transportation. (KLD)

04-16-2003, 05:38 PM	#4
Brad_D Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Florida Posts: 558	I guess times are tough. I'm paying my PCAs $14/hr out of pocket and lately I'm having a difficult time finding reliable help.

04-16-2003, 08:44 PM	#5
cinci Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 64	Thats typical of the bush administration to push something like this they will pay a lousy $350.00 a month so you can live happily at home with much better care for the individual, though they would gladly pay a nursing home an average of $150.00 a day.If they could just pay what a nursing home charges, people could live at home and still pay a decent wage, but then again all those crooked politicians would not get all those kickbacks from the nursing home lobbyists.Let me clarify one thing not all are crooked,just the majority. If only they could get together and pass a bill that resembles something close to the MICCASSA BILL,things would be for the better,whether it be spinal injurys,old age or what ever disability one may have. I just don't see it happening till they get rid of all the hard money and soft money big lobbyist groups and wealthy individuals give politicians to run for office and pretty much buy their vote and just go to some type of public funding that would supply egual funds to each of the candidates running for office.That would make them more likely to vote by how big a heart they have instead of how big a bank account they have,though I'm sure the latter part of my statement will never happen in our lifetime.Hopefully the first part will occur sometime in the near future.Just thought I'd voice my opinion.One more thing get your asses on the phone and keep harassing your state congressmen till we get changes.