Research / Journal abstracts

Mathematica created these compendia of abstracts, summaries, and references in an effort to provide to the public current and easily accessible research on the methodological issues of surveying persons with disabilities. Sources include online journals and websites, conference materials, citations from articles and books, and working papers and dissertations. Version 1, released June 2006, lists 150 resources. Version 2, released October 2008, adds 75.

Find out about the outcomes of people with serious mental illnesses that participate in Florida's Cash & Counseling program. Self-directed care was effective in lowering costs and time spent in psychiatric inpatient and criminal justice settings. Many program details are provided, such as financing, start up, structure, and evaluation.

Policy makers and provider organizations continue to struggle to reduce turnover among direct-care workers in the long-term care field. Unfortunately, data elements used to measure turnover vary widely between programs and make it difficult to understand and counteract this problem. The authors discuss these challenges by drawing on their experience with the turnover tracking system of the Better Jobs Better Care Demonstration.

The authors examined whether consumer direction is effective for elderly people with mental illness. The treatment group, those that participated in Cash and Counseling, fared better than elderly people that have a mental illness but did not participate in C&C. They also fared as well as elderly people without mental illness that were in the program. Variables studied included measures of consumer satisfaction as well as objective measures such as health, among others.

Find here preliminary findings of two demonstration projects aimed at improving employment outcomes of people with developmental disabilities by facilitating multi-sector partnerships. Two projects, one urban and one rural, specifically focused on coordination between supplemental staffing agencies and community rehabilitation programs. The authors conclude that services could be greatly improved via public/private partnerships and list ongoing programs that build on the model.

The authors identified trends regarding the use of 1915(c) waivers to buy assistive technology (AT). They examined participation and expenditures as well as differences in provision between elderly people and individuals with developmental disabilities. Results showed that the use of waivers to fund AT is growing, but more slowly than the overall waiver program. Also, there are significant differences in provision between people with disabilities and older adults as well as between states.

This study published in The Gerontologist indicates a mixed portrait of experience and outcomes between service models and worker groups. On most dimensions of stress and satisfaction, consumer-directed workers report outcomes equal to or more positive than agency workers. The study is comprised of a random sample of 618 telephone interviews with workers in the In-Home Supportive Services program in California.

A study was conducted on consumer-directed personal assistance services (PAS) cooperatives, with an emphasis on workplace PAS. This report presents case studies of seven cooperatives, describes advantages of consumer-run cooperatives, identifies funding issues and sources, and presents considerations for those contemplating starting. It contains a review of the literature which reveals only a few examples of successful consumer-directed PAS cooperatives in the US, however, they show promise.

This final report summarizes the findings from five years of research on how each of the three demonstration states implemented its program, and on how the programs have affected the consumers who participated, the consumers’ paid and unpaid caregivers, and the costs to Medicaid. The analysis is based on an experimental design to ensure that the estimates of program effects are unbiased, and has sample sizes that are adequate to detect program effects of policy-relevant magnitudes.

States now have more discretion in changing Medicaid policies; consumers and advocates want to make sure they have a voice in that. This AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper examines the processes states have in place to solicit public input into Medicaid policy changes developed and implemented through Section 1115 waivers or State Plan Amendments (SPAs). Recommendations are offered on how federal and state governments can improve or enhance existing opportunities for public involvement.