Walking the Line: Navigating Market and Gift Economies of Care in a Consumer‐Directed Home‐Based Care Program for Older Adults
Journal Article
December 9, 2015
This articles is based on surveys of workers and consumers in California’s In-Home Supportive Services program to determine whether the workers were ever expected to provide unpaid care, and if so, to explore the implications of such an arrangement. The authors found that IHSS workers frequently provide “gift” care, regardless of whether they are related to their consumer. The authors note that IHSS cuts seem to target live-in workers who are related to their consumers, thereby placing an increased burden on them to provide unpaid care.
