Long-Term Care - Illinois General Assembly

• Target nursing home rate increases to assure quality and adequate staffing.
• Stabilize payments so providers can apply funds to meet current costs, without incurring
high debt payments.
ASSURE ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF CAREGIVERS TO MEET FUTURE INCREASED DEMAND FOR SERVICES.
While there are shortages of skilled and semi-skilled workers today the demographics portend
massive shortages in the next five to 10 years. The state should implement policies that will
attract qualified workers into this industry.
• Assure adequate wages and benefits.
• Establish career ladder for paraprofessionals from unskilled, to semi-skilled to skilled
professionals.
• Coordinate efforts with community colleges to assure adequate supply of staff.
• Develop incentives for worker-owned cooperative paraprofessional businesses.
• Consider enhancing responsibilities of nurse aides and homemakers through courses
equivalent to those taken by higher-level personnel.
• Consider expanding responsibilities of higher-level nurses to maximize human resource
efficiency.
DEVELOP FINANCING MECHANISM TO COVER COSTS OF REFORMED LONG-TERM CARE.
Without new general revenue the state must target existing appropriations to assure seniors are
cared for in appropriate settings. Advocacy groups citing the Olmstead decree promote the
principle of money following the individual. Applying this principle to frail elderly nursing home
residents, the state could dramatically increase services available to seniors who are in or
otherwise would be admitted to nursing homes. Studies document that approximately one
quarter of all residents do not need the level of care available in nursing homes. This additional
funding for home and community based services for residents coming out and staying out of
nursing homes would assure adequate, high quality community care to meet their needs and
support adequate rates for all providers.
Through the MDS, DPA has identified more than 2,000 of their nursing home residents who
want to return home and identify a family member who can help care for them. Federal
demonstration programs in other states have found more than 3,000 nursing home residents
per year can be cared for at home if creative and aggressive programs are in place to
accommodate their residential and personal care needs. Other studies document that up to 25%
of nursing home residents do not need that level of care. If Illinois were to establish such a
program, it may be possible to relocate as many as 15,000 residents over the next five years.
With the money following the individual home, this could generate $75 million per year for home
and community based services.
During this period, the state must identify additional sustainable revenue sources to maintain
regular rate increases at end of four-year period. Other elements in a financing plan would
include targets to reduce current nursing home placement rates by 10% increase federal
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