Political Perspectives on Uncertified Home Care Agencies

This article examines the political agendas of public sector and organized private sector interests concerned with policies affecting uncertified home care agencies in three metropolitan areas. Using a telephone survey, the study found substantial differences across these groups in both the frequency with which they work on given issues and in some key attitudes. Overall, respondents were most likely to work on policies related to home care quality, and had particularly diverse--and at times conflicting--concerns in this area. Policymakers need to actively solicit the diverse attitudes of key interest groups towards controversial issues in order to understand less dominant perspectives, keep in mind the interconnection of policy issues, and arrive at politically viable solutions to home care policy problems.