Disability, Personal Care Assistance, and Quality of Life

ISBN-13: 9783639157734 / Angielski / Miękka / 2009 / 132 str.

Rita Fleming-Castaldy

Opis

People with disabilities often require personal care assistance (PCA) to perform daily activities and pursue life roles. PCA has historically been institution-based, resulting in the segregation of disabled people. Home-based PCA is an alternative to institutional care. These services can be agency-directed or consumer-directed. Disability rights activists strongly advocate for consumer-directed programs since personal control is key to a satisfying life. This text describes the foundations of consumer-direction and a study which tested the postulate that having control of and choice in PCA services result in a more satisfactory life. Since the incurrence of disability can result in impairments that contribute to a dissatisfying loss of control over many aspects of life, the finding that disabled people can mediate their limitations by self-managing their PCA is important. The significant impact of self-management of PCA on life satisfaction supports the value of consumer-directed PCA programs for persons with disabilities. The implications of consumer-direction for healthcare services, policies, and research are discussed.

O autorze

Rita Fleming-Castaldy, PhD, FAOTA, Assistant Professor of
Occupational Therapy at the University of Scranton, PA, attained
her doctorate at New York University. She has published and
presented nationally and internationally on professional
issues and disability rights. She is a Fellow of the American
Occupational Therapy Association.