In Their Own Words: Participant experiences during and after the transition to community living

Money Follows the Person (MFP) is a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid rebalancing demonstration program that has transitioned older adults and individuals with physical or developmental disabilities from institutional to community settings since 2008. Participant comments were collected following the completion of post-transition surveys to gain insight into personal experiences as a complement to survey data.  The study population included 90 Georgia participants or proxy respondents from April 2011 to December 2014. An inductive content analysis was completed to establish categories and themes. Participants described both negative and positive transition experiences . Delays in receiving services, lack of flexibility among service categories, lack of clarity about program operations and procedures, and interacting with untrained staff were negative themes related to the transition process. Participants also described positive experiences with program staff and services such as housing placement and set-up. Untrained staff, high staff turnover, and limited transportation options were themes that described challenges with the transition. Participants also reported improvements in different aspects of QoL such as being happier, having improved living conditions and services, having increased independence and feeling part of a community. Qualitative data collected from participant comments provided rich insights pertaining to the MFP transition process and post-transition experiences. The analysis and reporting of the data is useful for decision-makers who consider opportunities for programmatic and policy change related to states approaches to rebalancing Medicaid long-term services and supports.