The following is a list of PAS Workforce resources related to Arkansas.
The list is provided and maintained by the National
Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce. Each citation contains
an abstract and information about how to obtain the entire version.
Foster, L., et al.. (October 2000). Cash and counseling: Consumers' early experiences in Arkansas. Mathematica Policy Research.
Abstract:
This report outlines a survey of clients in Arkansas's Cash and Counseling Demonstration program. It documents how clients chose to spend their allowances, how satisfied clients were with their choices, and with the program. The majority of clients chose to hire relatives or friends as caregivers. While all clients expressed satisfaction with their relationships with paid caregivers, many reported they needed more care than they received.
Tilley, Jane, Kristen Black, Barbara Ormond and Jennie Harvell . (November 2003). State experiences with minimum nursing staff ratios for nursing facilities: Findings from case studies of eight states. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Abstract:
Conducted by the Urban Institute for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, this study was commissioned as a follow-up to the Phase I and Phase II nursing home staffing studies conducted for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services by Abt Associates. The researchers surveyed all state laws mandating minimum staffing ratios and conducted case studies of eight states (Arkansas, California, Delaware, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Vermont, and Wisconsin) that either instituted, modified or eliminated nursing staff ratios in recent years. The report concludes that minimum staffing ratios can help impose a standard on facilities that have inadequate staffing, but staffing ratios are not the only factor affecting the quality of care residents receive.
Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. (March 2004). Chart of direct-care workforce activities in Arkansas.
Abstract:
This chart describes existing or enacted direct-care workforce initiatives in this state as of March 2004. The information was collected as part of a national survey of state intitiatives on the long-term care direct-care workforce. Additional details about this state may be found in the full report.
Anderson, Wayne L., Joshua M. Wiener, Angela M. Greene, and Janet O'Keeffe . (April 2004). Direct service workforce activities of the Systems Change grantees. RTI International.
Abstract:
In 2001 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded Real Choice Systems Change (RCSC) Grants to states and other entities working to improve state long-term care systems. Twenty grantees began one or more initiatives to improve the recruitment and retention of direct service workers. This report focuses on the workforce initiatives of these 20 grantees, with an in-depth look at 7. The report strongly recomends that policymakers, providers, and consumers address workforce problems.
Foster, Leslie, Randall Brown, Barbara Phillips, Jennifer Schore, and Barbara Lepidus Carlson. (March 2003). Does consumer direction affect the quality of Medicaid personal assistance in Arkansas?. US Department of Health and Human Services.
Abstract:
The Cash and Counseling Demonstration is an innovative model of consumer direction and is the first to use a randomized design to compare care quality under agency- and consumer-directed approaches. This report examines the effect of Arkansas' demonstration program (IndependentChoices) on the quality of care.
Dale, Stacy, Randall Brown, Barbara Phillips, Jennifer Schore, and Barbara Carlson. (May 2004). Effect of consumer direction on personal assistance received in Arkansas. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Abstract:
This study of Arkansas' Cash and Counseling Demonstration program, IndependentChoices, examines how the model of consumer direction changes the way that consumers meet their personal assistance needs.
Stephanie Sikora. (July 2004). Meeting the needs for long-term care: Strengthening the nursing assistant occupation. Good Faith Fund.
Abstract:
This paper summarizes the roles of CNAs and the challenges that they face, highlighting the Arkansas workforce. To improve the retention of workers and the quality of care, the author suggests that policy makers consider the following solutions: increase pay and benefits, develop career ladders, offer educational opportunities and supplemental training for CNAs.
Dale, Stacy, et al.. (June 2003). The experience of workers hired under consumer-direction in Arkansas. U.S Department of Health and Human Services.
Abstract:
This study describes the experiences of workers hired under consumer direction using results from the first Cash and Counseling demonstration. The survey focuses on primary paid workers selected by consumers who participated in the project. Researchers found that: directly hired workers were paid about the same wage as agency workers, directly hired workers were generally close relatives or friends of consumers and provided several hours of unpaid care, any strain felt by workers on the job was due to aspects of the relationship between workers and their employers, and over all workers were satistfied with their working conditions.
Zacharias, Lee. (June 2004). Cash and counseling demonstration and evaluation report on Arkansas paid worker focus groups.
Abstract:
This study reports the opinions and experiences of home health agency and IndependenceChoices workers' in Arkanasas. Topics include workers' views about issues such as job satisfaction, their roles and responsibilities, recruitment and retention, and the similarities and differences between IndependentChoices workers and agency workers. The study found that: There were few differences between family and non-family paid workers, often workers feel isolated and desired peer support, and workers strongly supported public awareness campaigns.
Dale, Stacy, et al. (October 2005). How do hired workers fare under consumer-directed personal care? .
Abstract:
This article examines workers who are hired under consumer direction in Arkansas. Workers were compared to a control group of agency workers. The study found that workers under consumer direction were nearly always the consumers' friends or relatives. Also, workers under consumer-direction who were related to the consumer were more likely to report emotional strain and a desire for more respect from the consumer's family.
However, no such strain was found in directly hired workers who were not relatives.
Obtain the Full Version: Single issues may be purchased for $40. Orders for subscription should be sent to The Gerontological Society of America, P.O. Box 79151, Baltimore, MD 21279 Available on the web: gerontologist.gerontologyjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/45/5/583
Dale, Stacy and Randall Brown. (May 2005). The effect of Cash and Counseling on Medicaid and Medicare costs. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Disability, Aging and Long-Term Care Policy (DALTCP).
Abstract:
This report examines how the Cash and Counseling Demonstration program affects Medicaid and Medicare service use and costs. The study found that the Cash and Counseling programs in all three states increased the well-being of adults and their access to paid personal care services. The authors say that 'results to date on costs are less clear-cut.'
Sikora, Stephanie . (July 2004). Meeting the need for long-term care: Strengthening the nursing assistant occupation. Good Faith Fund.
Abstract:
This eight-page issue brief focuses on the shortage of certified nursing assistants in Arkansas, offering policy recommendations to help workers stay in the profession and attract new people into the profession in order to assure that patients are provided with adequate numbers of qualified staff. The author cites successful approaches in other states and recommends increasing pay, benefits and training for direct-care workers, providing them with career ladders and expanded educational opportunities, and professionalizing the career.
Dale, Stacy, et al.. (August 2005). Experiences of workers hired under cash and counseling: Findings from Arkansas, Florida, and New Jersey. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation; Office of Disability, Aging and Longer-Term Care Policy.
Abstract:
This study finds that workers in the Cash and Counseling Demonstration, in which direct-care workers are hired and supervised directly by consumers, were at least as satisfied with their wages, benefits, and working conditions as agency workers and suffered comparable rates of on-the-job injuries. However, a majority of workers were personally related to the consumers, leading to greater emotional strain and less perceived respect. Directly hired workers were also less likely to have received training. Recommendations include educational material, support groups, and information for both workers and consumers.
