Attendant Care Survey Methodology (ACSM): Introducing a Costing Model Attendant Care Survey Methodology (ACSM)

When attendant care costs are included in a life care plan, they can be the costliest item. No methodology has been introduced to teach the life care planner how to gather, report, and defend attendant cost data validly and reliably. The Attendant Care Survey Methodology (ACSM) is such a method. Created on survey research methods applicable globally, it provides life care planners with the foundation to collect and include attendant care cost data. This article introduces the ACSM’s five phases and 12 steps not only theoretically, but also as applied and replicated by each author across the country in multiple surveys since early 2020. This initial article is the first in a trilogy of how to use the ACSM for attendant care costs. Anticipated future publications focus on data analysis and interpretation as well as how repeat surveys (e.g., annually) can provide important longitudinal cost data.