Fewer potentially avoidable health care events in rural Veterans with self-directed care versus other personal care services

Rural residents face more barriers to healthcare access, including challenges in receiving home and community-based long-term services, compared to urban residents. Self-directed services provide flexibility and choice in care options and may be particularly well suited to help older adults with multiple chronic conditions and functional limitations who reside in rural areas remain independent and live in the community. Veteran-Directed Care (VDC) recipients had fewer incidents of potentially avoidable Veterans Health Administration (VHA)-paid health care use, compared to similar Veterans receiving other VHA-paid personal care services. These differences were more pronounced among rural VDC recipients than urban VDC recipients. Read the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society article here.