Supporting Aged Communities: Consumer Directed Care in Aged Care Services

This report analyzes how consumer directed care in Aged Care can support older people to have more control on the care they receive, evaluating the consumer directed care in aged care services, and how the model empowers elderly people and the positive and negative impact of this model on their health and wellbeing.

Running head: SUPPORTING AGED COMMUNITIES
Supporting Aged Communities
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1SUPPORTING AGED COMMUNITIES
Contents
Introduction:...............................................................................................................................2
Discussion:.................................................................................................................................2
Evaluation of the consumer directed care in Aged care:........................................................2
Choice and Flexibility:.......................................................................................................2
Access to relevant information and Informed Decisions:..................................................3
Partnership Approach:........................................................................................................3
Wellness and reablement:..................................................................................................3
Transparency:.....................................................................................................................4
How consumer directed care has empowered older people:..................................................4
Better Assessment:.............................................................................................................4
Service Oriented to the consumers:....................................................................................4
Positive Interactions between Consumer and Provider:.....................................................5
Supporting Knowledge:.....................................................................................................5
Personal Control:................................................................................................................5
Consumer involvement in the care plan:............................................................................6
Funding:.............................................................................................................................6
Safety of Care:....................................................................................................................6
Positive and negative factors of consumer directed care:..........................................................6
Advantages:........................................................................................................................7
Disadvantages:...................................................................................................................7
Conclusion:................................................................................................................................8

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References:.................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction:
Consumer Directed Care (CDC) is a new model of care in which the consumers of
care are given more flexibility and choice over the care provided. This gives people receiving
home care more control on the care services and care packages they receive including how
the care is delivered and who provides the care (Gill et al., 2018; Cornell, 2018). This model
ensures that the care providers revews and monitors the care to ensure it meets the
requirements and needs of the consumer. In case of a change in the care needs or
requirements, this model ensures a reassessment to assess the need for change in the care plan
(Cash et al., 2017).
The aim of the report is to analyze how consumer directed care in Aged Care can
support older people to have more control on the care they receive, evaluating the consumer
directed care in aged care services, and how the model empowers elderly people and the
positive and negative impact of this model on their health and wellbeing.
Discussion:
Evaluation of the consumer directed care in Aged care:
Consumer directed care involves several principles that is aimed to help the
consumers. These principles are:
Choice and Flexibility:
This entitles the consumers to have assistance and access to all the possible services
and care packages that can be applicable for them. This helps the consumer to decide on their
own care packages that can support the consumers to live their lives according to their own
wishes (Prgomet et al., 2017).

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Access to relevant information and Informed Decisions:
Access to all the relevant information is vital to allow informed decision making,
which makes it an important principle under CDC. Providing all the information to the
consumers can help them to better understand the situation, which can support an informed
decision that addresses their care needs and based upon their health assessments (Gill et al.,
2017).
Partnership Approach:
This helps in the development of a balanced and respectful partnership between the
consumers and service providers that is underlined by the rights and responsibilities of both
the parties. This is important to ensure the empowerment of the consumer and to exercise
their authorities to control and manage their own care. The consumer gets to choose the level
of control they can exercise in their care and can differ between different consumers (Laver et
al., 2018; Thomas & Allen, 2016).
Wellness and reablement:
The framework of restorative and re-enablement strategies of CDC can support the
independence of the consumers and reduces the requirements of continuous and increased
levels of delivery of service. This is a vital strategy for consumers who enter the care system
in a crisis situation requiring the quick provision of services to address the crisis situation
(Cochrane et al., 2016).
Transparency:
The CDC system provides rights to the consumers to chose how their budget for the
services of their choosing. This helps to make informed decisions about their care. This also
implies that all the information regarding budget, cost of service, and the individual budget

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for the care as well as how their funding is used helps to develop transparency and foster trust
in the system (Laragy & Allen, 2015).
How consumer directed care has empowered older people:
CDC can help to empower the elderly because of the key aspects of the system that
increases the involvement of the consumers in the decision making process related to their
care (Ranson et al., 2016). Such aspects can be supported through:
Better Assessment:
Self assessment and self identification with the support of an assessor can help to
identify the support needs of the consumer through conversations and storytelling and
professional assessment of specific conditions as agreed upon by the consumer or their
representative and ensuring their involvement in care planning (Mueller et al., 2016).
Service Oriented to the consumers:
Orienting the service to the needs of the consumer is based on the strengths of the
consumer and addresses any barriers to achieve their care goals. The care starts with
assessment of consumer needs, where the assessor listens to the consumer and provides
advices and facilitates to achieve those needs (Thi Xuan Mai & Ottar Olsen, 2016).
Positive Interactions between Consumer and Provider:
A positive relation between provider and consumer is supported through an
improvement in consumer satisfaction, increase comprehension of the consumer on the care
provided and an active participation or involvement of the consumer in his or her care.
Studies show that a committed, collaborative and engaging care along with patient
satisfaction and active participation being vital for patient empowerment (Van Der Wouden
et al., 2016).

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Supporting Knowledge:
Supporting the knowledge of the patient also helps to empower patients. It is pointed
out that more knowledge and information helps the patient to understand their conditions in a
better way, and identify how their care plan can achieve better health outcomes thereby
allowing them to make informed decisions regarding their care (Kaambwa et al., 2015).
Personal Control:
A sense of personal control is vital for the patients, since it gives them a sense of
having a control over how they would like to be cared and how their funding is utilized to
ensure their well being. Studies show that a sense of control over the provision and delivery
of care by the patient increases their satisfaction towards the service and helps in their
empowerment through the consumer centricity of the services (Ranson et al., 2016).
Consumer involvement in the care plan:
CDC ensures that the consumer define the goals of care and deciede what is important
for them, planning care for themselves with support as required or requested, as well as
decieding upon the services that will be given, how they will be delivered and who will be
delivering the services (Walsh et al., 2016; Cash et al., 2017).
Safety of Care:
Ensuring the safety of the care prevents any adverse effects of the care on the
consumer, thereby supporting their overall wellbeing and also preventing unwanted health
outcomes. Studies show that care plans that ensures maximum safety for the patients actually
helps to ensure their wellbeing and thus supports their empowerment (Friedman et al., 2015).
Positive and negative factors of consumer directed care:

7SUPPORTING AGED COMMUNITIES
Consumer centered care can have several advantages and disadvantages for the
consumers as well as the providers which have been discussed next:
Advantages:
i. Increases the satisfaction of the consumers and their families towards the care
given
ii. Improves the reputation of the providers for the consumers of healthcare services
iii. Increases the productivity and morale of the providers
iv. Improves the allocation of resources and funds
v. Minumizes the expense of the care through better and clearer budgeting
vi. Empowering the consumers through more information and control on their care
vii. Providing continuous care through collaborative effort
viii. Supports compliance to the care needs as informed by the consumer
ix. Fosters respect for the consumer
x. Supports wellness and re-enablement practices to improve the wellbeing of
consumers
(Gill et al., 2018)
Disadvantages:
i. Training of healthcare workers towards the consumer directed care approach and
consumer centricity of care
ii. Developing a trusting relation between the provider and consumer can be
challenge and can take time to develop and sustain
iii. This divers the focus of care from a provider centered approach which can
complicate the process of monitoring performance and success of the care

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iv. For the elderly and frail consumers, making informed choices can be a
challenging task especially under circumstances of cognitive disabilities, socio-
economic conditions, non-availability of a representative or carer or geographic
isolation.
v. CDC can also lead to the consumer’s condition being downplayed, by
constructing elderly patients as ‘consumers’ and ignores the specific conditions
that prevents them to represent their self interest and thus can be at higher risk
than an average consumer.
vi. Self regularion of care can also limit the comprehensiveness of the care, instead
focusing on the positive outcomes only.
(Kaambwa et al., 2015)
Conclusion:
CDC is a model of healthcare delivery that places the consumer at the center of the
decision making process regarding the care. This ensures that the patient or their
representatives have control over the service provided to them, increasing their sense of
involvement over their care, which they can deciede upon beforehand. This also helps in the
modification of the care plan according to the consumer’s wishes and preferences. Such
aspects make CDC an important strategy in aged care as it helps in the empowerment of the
elderly, and increasing their sense of control over their lives as well as the provision and
delivery of care. CDC supports the health and wellbeing of the consumers through the
inclusion of choice and flexibility in care, providing the patient all relevant information to
facilitate informed consent, incorporate a partnership in healthcare between consumer and
provider. CDC also ensures transparency in the system and supports wellness and re-
enablement of the consumers which increases their satisfaction and trust. However, CDC can

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also be challenging since it can complicate the process of measuring the success of care,
increasing dependence on the consumer for taking their care decisions and adversely
affecting the providence of continuous care for the consumers.

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