98

Since the creation of the disability compensation benefit, those who benefit from it have become more able to pay for personal carers, arranging them using service organizations or through direct employment—for instance, by authorizing a service organization to help them with their responsibilities, but not replace them. This article discusses the situation of people who need twenty-four-hour care, and choose to use a service organization. It is based upon a qualitative study carried out in 2015 in Île-de-France and Languedoc-Roussillon, with fifteen individuals who employed carers, fifteen employees, and three managers from the charity Paralysés de France. The author examines individuals’ reasons for using direct employment, and the consequences of using personal care services.