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The Illinois AARP has expressed its opposition to budget cuts by the Illinois Legislature in a letter to Governor Rod Blagojevich...AARP to Blagojevich: Restore funding for Senior Services

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Aug. 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a letter from Bob Gallo, State Director, AARP Illinois to Governor

Blagojevich:

                                                              
August 10, 2007

 

    The Honorable Rod Blagojevich

    Governor of the State

    State House

    Springfield, Illinois 62706

 

Dear Governor Blagojevich:

The FY 08 budget contained in HB 3866 would effectively undo our collective efforts to revamp the state's long term care system. It creates a $25 million funding gap in the Department on Aging's Community Care Program, while it appropriates a $150 million (annualized) rate increase for nursing home operators. These nursing home increases are not tied to increased quality standards or staff to resident ratios.

 

Ironically, demand for in-home services has been steadily rising, while demand for long term nursing home beds has been decreasing.

   

In 2004 AARP joined arms with your administration and providers of both in-home services and nursing home care to reshape the long term care delivery system in Illinois.

 

Our work was based on a common vision that every Illinoisan should have the right to live in their own homes for as long as possible supported by a basic set of services. In addition, high quality nursing home care should be available to those needing 24 hour

skilled care not available in a community setting.

 

Since 2004 and the enactment of the Older Adult Services Act, we have incrementally moved toward this vision: increasing in-home services, increasing worker wages, overhauling the case management system, and enacting landmark legislation to protect residents of nursing homes from predators. HB 3866 flies in the face of these efforts.

   

AARP, on behalf of our 1.7 million members in Illinois, urges you to modify the appropriations contained in HB 3866 by restoring the $25 million cut from the Community Care Program and eliminating nursing home rate increases not tied to staff to resident ratios and enhanced quality standards.

 

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to working with you to make Illinois a leader in aging services.

    Sincerely

 

    Bob Gallo

    State Director

    AARP Illinois