Money Follows the Person Hosts Photovoice Exhibit Capturing Community Living
Since 2008, Georgia has successfully transitioned over 2,200 participants from institutional settings to home and community-based services (HCBS) through the federally funded Money Follows the Person (MFP) rebalancing demonstration program.
On November 16, the Georgia MFP presented Gaining Freedom, Coming Home, a photovoice exhibit, at Georgia State University’s (GSU) Centennial Hall in Downtown Atlanta.
“Through this program, we have been able to collect a lot of quantitative data, but we wanted to find a way to show people’s lives after moving into the community,” said Kristi Fuller, an evaluator for MFP at the Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC) at GSU. GHPC has been the evaluator for MFP in the State since 2009.
Using photovoice, a participatory action research method, MFP participants documented their own transition experience. Photovoice encouraged participants to record, reflect and share their experiences through photography. Themes from participants’ photographs and narratives identified programmatic successes as well as opportunities for continued support of long-term care services provided in home and community-based settings.
Thirty photographs that document the transition of five individuals moving from long-term care facilities back into the community were displayed as part of the exhibition.
The exhibit showcased the journeys of five people – Yaser, Danny, Patricia, Michelle and Tammy – as they left long-term care facilities and returned to the community as part of the MFP program. At the event, they shared their stories with advocates, policymakers, agency leaders, family and friends.
The program has allowed qualified beneficiaries to get the care they need, while improving their quality of life. In sharing these stories, the event hoped to bring attention to two aspects of MFP.
“The cornerstone of this grant is to rebalance Medicaid when it comes to long-term services and supports through moving people from institutional care to community-based settings,” added Fuller. “It is generally less expensive to have people live in community-based settings and provides a better quality of life.”
Second, the participants hoped that the policymakers and other influencers could understand the life and perspective of the individual living in the community. Participants who transitioned from institutional care to HCBS reported quality of life improvements regarding their living situation, choice and control and overall satisfaction.
Through its efforts, Georgia has been a leader in the MFP program based on the low number of individuals who have had to return to institutional care.
MFP is a national Medicaid program sponsored by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The program, awarded to the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), helps people who are living in institutions, such as psychiatric residential treatment facilities, nursing homes or other long-term care facilities, return to their homes and communities while continuing to receive supportive services. By the end of the grant in 2020, DCH seeks to transition 2,754 individuals.
For more information on Money Follows the Person, visit https://dch.georgia.gov/georgia-money-follows-person-ga-mfp
To see an infographic about the Money Follows the Person program, visit http://gcdd.org/images/MAD_Magazine/MADWinter2017/MFP_Infographic_FINALx.pdf
Listen to the audio version of the magazine by clicking on the orange "Play" button below:
Spanish Language Version (Versión en Español)
GCDD se complace en expandir nuestro alcance a otras comunidades ofreciendo nuestra revista trimestral en español.
Haga clic en la imagen abajo para ver la revista en línea.
Haga clic aquí para descargar el pdf en español.
