Long-Term Care - Illinois General Assembly

Most of all, we want to make sure that we keep people at home, living independently, for as long
as possible. All of us have parents who may be aging, and when we go to work every day, we
want to make sure that they are well. Even if they're home, there is concern. Are they eating?
Are they taking their meds? Are they letting someone in that shouldn't be there? Have they
turned on the stove and the gas is leaking? Those are the kinds of issues that all of us have to
deal with every day. They are critical. It may seem simple, but they are central to the question
of helping people stay at home and staying independent as long as possible.
We also believe that home care will also reduce our medical costs, if someone is at home in
their natural environment. We also think that it will reduce the cost of Medicaid, the cost of
doctor's visits, the cost of medicine.
In most instances, if you are over 65, or over 70, and you go to a nursing home, there is an
assumption that you're on your way out — this is the end. With that in mind, people tend to get
sicker.
We need to work in partnership with the legislature. We also need to work in partnership with
the long-term care industry, and with the citizenry. There needs to be a (better) balance of
services. We have 79,000 people in the State of Illinois who are in nursing homes that are
funded by Medicaid. That's a lot. We can't just say: “Well, we're no longer going to provide that
service. We are going to divert, reallocate all of our resources to community-based care.”
We have to figure out how to provide quality services for that population, and maintain those
services, while at the same time creating enough options for the growing number of people who
may not need nursing home care for a long period of time. We need that balance, so that we
have options for people who want to stay at home as long as possible. It is a quality of life
matter, as well as an issue of cost.
We must also have the infrastructure in place for those who may need nursing facilities. Not
just in urban areas, but south and north of I-80. We need the same accessibility and the same
quality of care.
Even in Maine there is difficulty finding staff to serve a growing elderly population. We have that
situation in many places throughout the state.
The Governor has worked with legislators and expanded the senior care (prescription drug)
program, with the goal of keeping people healthier longer.
In addition, we have increased the rate for the adult daycare services. We have to expand the
availability of adult day care, because there are 60 counties without such services. That's a lot
of counties that have no adult daycare services. Even with the increased rate, we've got to
increase availability. I know the Department on Aging is trying to find additional resources in
order to get more adult daycare services on-line.
We're looking for every opportunity to work in all areas of the state to try and get services, so
people can stay home and live independently in their neighborhoods for as long as possible. At
the same time, we have to provide quality care throughout the state for those who need nursing
facilities. We have to address the issue of mentally ill in nursing home facilities. It is a critical
issue. Much of it has to do with our regulatory issues. A lot of it has to do with budget.
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