Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39448356›Full record

ArticleDisability and health journal2025

"Too few, too far away, for what is paid": Consumer voices about the personal assistance worker crisis.

Catherine Ipsen, Rayna Sage, Krys Standley

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Disability and health journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Catherine IpsenUniversity of Montana Rural Institute, Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA. Electronic address: catherine.ipsen@mso.umt.edu.
Rayna SageUniversity of Montana Rural Institute, Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA.
Krys StandleyUniversity of Montana Rural Institute, Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA.

Funding

ACL HHS 90IFRE0050ACL HHS 90RTCP0002ACL HHS 90RTCP0007
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe growing gap between demand and supply of personal assistance service (PAS) workers presents a significant burden to those who use services. The intensity and duration of hardship is growing, and consumer voices need to be heard and incorporated into the national dialogue.

objectiveThis paper explores how PAS worker shortages manifest themselves in the daily lives of people with disabilities using or needing PAS services in the United States.

methodsWe used thematic coding of qualitative data from the 2022 National Survey on Health and Disability. Respondents (n = 330) provided open-ended responses to the prompt "Briefly explain the types of problems or issues you have had finding PAS or support workers."

resultsThree themes emerged regarding consumer perspectives and experiences with worker shortages (1) low pay, few benefits, and undervalued work, (2) demanding working conditions and logistics, and (3) low quality workers. In combination, these themes informed a fourth theme (4) impacts for PAS consumers characterized by substandard care and additional stress and workload for those who direct their own care.

conclusionsAs a society, we have taken steps to increase opportunities for community living and created policies to uphold choice and independence for people with disabilities. In the absence of an adequate workforce to support these policies, however, we convey an empty promise. Without tangible steps to resolve these problems at the policy level, such as improved worker pay and protections, hope for resolution to these issues remains elusive.

Indexed as

Health Services Needs and DemandHome Health AidesPersons with DisabilitiesSalaries and Fringe BenefitsAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchSurveys and QuestionnairesUnited StatesWorkloadDisabilityPersonal assistance servicesUnmet needsWorker shortages

Identifiers

PMID39448356
PMCPMC12557712

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.