Senator Rutherford is seeking to establish and maintain a permanent supportive living program in Illinois. Currently, the Illinois Department of Public Aid is required to set up and retain a “demonstration project” to establish the viability of supportive living facilities. Rutherford believes the supportive living program should be regarded as a permanently established program in Illinois, and has co-sponsored Senate Bill 1651, which reflects the enduring nature of the program.

“Supportive living facilities are a reasonable option for seniors who need personal care and supervision, but do not require the same level of assistance that they would receive at a nursing home. These facilities allow senior citizens to retain some level of independence, while receiving medical attention and other services that they would not have access to in a private residence,” explained Rutherford. “Establishing and maintaining a supportive living program will improve the variety and quality of long-term care that Illinois’ aging population has access to, which is what I have been seeking to accomplish for many years.”

The demonstration project which created the supportive living program was developed as an alternative to nursing home care for low-income older persons, and persons with disabilities under the Medicaid program.

The individual’s financial and health status determine whether Medicaid will reimburse the facility for the resident’s cost of service in the Supportive Living Facility, but residents who use a private source of payment or a private insurance company are also welcome to live in one of these facilities. Additionally, an individual’s annual income cannot exceed $29,222 and assets cannot exceed $2,000, and the allowable income for a couple cannot exceed $55,112 and assets cannot exceed $3,000.

“The program was designed to promote independence, and offer Illinois’ elderly population the opportunity to age with dignity and self-respect,” said Rutherford. “Of utmost concern is providing for the well-being of the supported living residents in a cost-effective manner.”

Senator Rutherford explained that establishment of the supported living facility program is another phase providing continued care for the state’s senior citizens. The Senator has been a long-time advocate for the elderly, beginning with the creation of the Task Force on Long Term Care, on which Rutherford served as Chairman. The Task Force held 15 hearings in all regions of Illinois to research the inherent inadequacies found in Illinois’ method of Medicaid reimbursement to our nursing homes.

The result of the Task Force was a new law which moved the rate-setting formula away from an archaic average for a specific region—which resulted in great disparity between regions—to a system where the medical need of the resident determined the amount of funding the nursing home received. This new formula was labeled “Rational Reimbursement,” and resulted in a system that fairly distributes resources based on need, ensuring that facilities with residents who need more intensive care will receive more funding to address the increased cost associated with their special needs.

“The goal of the Supportive Living program is to develop senior services and assistance that enables or seniors to live and participate in their community for as long as they are able. In addition, there are many different services and programs that senior citizens can utilize to maximize their time in their private residence, such as meal delivery providers and home health care, transportation and chore services,” said Rutherford.

 “The permanent establishment of supportive living facilities simply creates an extension between senior citizens who are able function independently in their own home and those individuals who need the intensive, full-time care of a nursing home. By seeking to create a continuum of elderly care in Illinois, the state’s aging population will be afforded the ability to live independently for as long as possible, improving their quality of live and providing the state with a thriving, active senior population.”