Humanize Long Term Care - dignity & community
Most of us will need long term care at some point in our lives. What kind and how should it be provided?
Despite several valuable programs (mostly Medicaid-funded), Illinois is among the nation's worst at providing home and community-based care options. Caregivers are too few and underpaid.
People with disabilities and aging elders deserve care at home, or in the community, with maximum dignity and autonomy.
Across Illinois, thousands of persons in facilities could get better care, at less cost, with greater dignity and autonomy, by getting long term care via 'home and community-based services' (HCBS) instead of a 24/7 institution they don't need or want.
Many of our elders are at risk of landing in a facility they don't really need or want, because the Illinois senior program won't offer the higher level of care they need to maintain their independence.
Use this form to support a 'Freedom Fund' and policies that 'Humanize Long Term Care', so people have real options to get the care they need, with maximum autonomy.
1) Fill in your information, 2) lick 'start writing' and review the sample letters, 3) click 'send' twice (once will be for your legislators and once for the governor,
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See organizations endorsing this policy directions here.
As Wall Street profiteers increasingly treat the "nursing home industrial complex," as a (sometimes hidden) revenue stream, keeping people in facilities adds to their profits and power. Nursing facilities cost roughly $10,000-$30,000 MORE per person per year than care at home or integrated into the community - even including housing assistance
Getting the state of Illinois to provide housing assistance in the community to enable transitions would be an important step toward honoring the US Supreme Court Olmstead decision - which enshrined the civil right to care in the most integrated setting suitable for that person.
The Humanize Long Term Care campaign, including community, union, disability, retiree, and other organizations, is working to transform the long term care system away from costly, profit-driven institutions and giving real choice to get person-centered care in the community.
Three 'Pillars' that can enable that transformation:
1) Speed transitions into the Community:
· Fund affordable/accessible housing ‘transition vouchers” for folks leaving facilities by adding 25 cents per $500 of value to the real estate transfer tax
· Expand the pool of homecare PAs, and reduce delays for Home Services
2) Prevent needless institutionalization
Let folks that don’t need 24/7 facilities to remain in their homes
· End the ‘hospital-to-nursing-home pipeline.’ Create a program providing short-notice at-home caregivers (e.g. PAs and visiting nurses)
· Educate medical staff on the issue
· Enhance homecare services for seniors that become disabled after age 60
3) Dignity for those in facilities:
· Personal needs allowance of at least $90/mo for ALL residents/facilities
· Strengthen direct care staffing standards … and enforce them
· Stronger protections and enforcement of health/safety rules
· Extend anti-retaliation protections to more types of facilities
A base for ALL 3 Pillars:
· Making HCBS an entitlement, not a limited waiver-based program
· Living wages, better working conditions, training and accountability for caregivers/staff in all LTC programs; more homecare PAs and DRS/DHS staff.
