ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the personalization and marketization of home care services for people aged 65 years or older in England. It comprises a brief background on personalization and marketization in the home care sector and the mechanisms used to facilitate personalization, known as personal budgets. The chapter summarizes the research evidence from these studies, covering, first, the shifting role of local councils from providing services to facilitating the market and, second, the opportunities for older people to engage with personalization and become active consumers. It draws on findings from four studies that took place between 2007 and 2014, covering various aspects of the personalization and marketization of home care services for older people in England. In the early 2000s, councils began to award home care contracts by geographical localities, known as zones. Home care agency managers suggested the skill mix of the care workforce may change with increased use of direct payments.
