Introduction
The following critical review will investigate the introduction and implications of Consumer-Directed Care (CDC) for disability care and services in Australia. This will be achieved through evaluation and critique of Consumer-Directed Care as a service innovation and brief examples from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
The aim of the critical review will be to assess the strengths and limitations of consumer-directed care – especially in cases where an individual may not be considered able to make decisions about their own care as a result of cognitive illness or impairment. The main findings of this review are that CDC as an innovation can be highly effective in creating a sense of independence and autonomy …show more content…
It can be understood, therefore, that there is no one definition for Consumer-directed care. Within each definition and context, CDC can be seen to encompass varied forms of client involvement within the framework of a care structure. For example, Howe (2007) states that at its most limiting CDC can mean increased client direction over services and planning, while at its fullest CDC can place the responsibility for selection and orgnisation of support and care services entirely in the control of the client. Resultantly, CDC can be seen as a spectrum of innovation along which client responsibility and capabilities can be located to ensure that their needs are being met …show more content…
That being said, as with any innovation there are strengths as well as limitations to what such a program can do, or hope to achieve. The strengths of CDC can be understood in terms of supporting people with disability to become more independent and autonomous; that is to place control of their lives back within their power and, therefore, their responsibility (Howe, 2007; Miller, 2006; National Disability Organisations ' Clearinghouse; Queensland Alliance 2013). Through independence, autonomy and responsibility, the limitations of CDC can be seen. These limitations include, but are not limited to: making poor decisions about care choices; over or under spending on critical care; poor financial management; conflicting interest between the client and primary career about how spending is to occur; and lapses in the quality of care resultant from difficulty in enforcing regulations about the training of care workers outside of agencies
The following critical review will investigate the introduction and implications of Consumer-Directed Care (CDC) for disability care and services in Australia. This will be achieved through evaluation and critique of Consumer-Directed Care as a service innovation and brief examples from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
The aim of the critical review will be to assess the strengths and limitations of consumer-directed care – especially in cases where an individual may not be considered able to make decisions about their own care as a result of cognitive illness or impairment. The main findings of this review are that CDC as an innovation can be highly effective in creating a sense of independence and autonomy …show more content…
It can be understood, therefore, that there is no one definition for Consumer-directed care. Within each definition and context, CDC can be seen to encompass varied forms of client involvement within the framework of a care structure. For example, Howe (2007) states that at its most limiting CDC can mean increased client direction over services and planning, while at its fullest CDC can place the responsibility for selection and orgnisation of support and care services entirely in the control of the client. Resultantly, CDC can be seen as a spectrum of innovation along which client responsibility and capabilities can be located to ensure that their needs are being met …show more content…
That being said, as with any innovation there are strengths as well as limitations to what such a program can do, or hope to achieve. The strengths of CDC can be understood in terms of supporting people with disability to become more independent and autonomous; that is to place control of their lives back within their power and, therefore, their responsibility (Howe, 2007; Miller, 2006; National Disability Organisations ' Clearinghouse; Queensland Alliance 2013). Through independence, autonomy and responsibility, the limitations of CDC can be seen. These limitations include, but are not limited to: making poor decisions about care choices; over or under spending on critical care; poor financial management; conflicting interest between the client and primary career about how spending is to occur; and lapses in the quality of care resultant from difficulty in enforcing regulations about the training of care workers outside of agencies