In the context of long-term care, consumer directed care refers to a system in which the individual in need of care, or their family and legal guardians, determine what care services and supplies are necessary. The individual, or their family, select, retain, and manage their care providers, and to an extent, they manage payment to their providers, usually within an agreed upon, pre-determined budget. In some states, Financial Management Services assist consumer directed participants with their role as the employer, such as processing payments and withholding taxes.