Consumer Discourse in Assisted Living

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this article is to discuss the cultural construction of the assisted living consumer. Based on theories of consumer studies, it focuses on organizational strategies employed by assisted living practitioners to promote consumer choice and independence while mediating potential risks. METHODS: Data include field notes, participation in manager-training programs, and interviews with residents and family members during a 22-month study of three Oregon facilities. RESULTS: Consumer discourse is evident in four primary sources, including the state rules, manager-training programs, organizational practices, and an institutional belief in specific consumer demands like independence and choice. DISCUSSION: Personal care is a complex consumer "good" further complicated by residents with cognitive impairments, family demands, payment sources, and the very novelty of the assisted living philosophy. We conclude with a discussion of benefits and pitfalls based on the use of consumer discourse that represents older persons as active consumers, rather than recipients, of long-term care services.