Long-Term Care - Illinois General Assembly

CITIZENS FOR HOMES (HOUSING OPTIONS MEETING EQUITY STANDARDS)
Consumers want more control over their long-term care services. They want to be able to direct
their own care and hire their own caregivers whenever possible. They want to remain in their
communities and participate in community life. A key component to an effective long-term
health care plan must include an increase in accessible housing.
Georgia and Texas have passed laws that require new homes built with public funds to contain
basic access features, including:
• 1 zero-step entrance;
• 32 inch wide doors on the ground floor, including the bathroom;
• Reinforced bathroom walls so grab bars may be installed if needed; and
• Light switches, electric outlets and other controls at reachable heights.
The additional cost of these homes ranges for $0 to $500.
Considering the present and future need for an increase in accessible housing, Illinois should
require new homes built with public money to contain these design features.
PROVENA COVENANT CASE MANAGEMENT UNIT
Provide comprehensive case management services to all seniors, regardless of income and
assets. By allocating state grants or contract assistance to Case Coordination Units (aka: Case
Management Units) via Area Agencies on Aging, comprehensive case management services
can be offered to all seniors, regardless of their eligibility for Community Care Program services.
The initial, annual respite care assessment that may be authorized per person stands at $500 –
with the option to request an addendum up to $250 on a case-by-case basis. This $500
maximum provides about 5 days/nights of Institutional respite (in a nursing facility), 38 hours of
homemaker assistance, or 11 days at an Adult Day Service site, per fiscal year. The respite
care allowance per person should be increased from $500 to at least $750. Appropriate the
necessary state funds to provide emergency home response services under the current
Medicaid waiver to seniors eligible to receive Community Care Program services.
Under the Community Care Program (CCP), individual seniors must have $10,000 of assets or
less. The current asset limit of $10,000 for a single person should be raised to $20,000 under
the Community Care Program (CCP).
CCP rates for homemaker services should be increased so that providers may offer fair wages
and benefits and seniors may have a better chance of receiving service hours as authorized.
Provide mileage reimbursement for the volunteers who participate in the Illinois Volunteer
Money Management Program (IVMMP).
Seniors across the board should have access to money management services and that the
funding is appropriated to allow for this to happen.
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