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Seniors set to be hit hard by Illinois budget...Budget threatening Senior's health, safety & independence - Rate increase for nursing homes a move in the wrong direction

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Seniors across Illinois are bracing for harsh news from the state budget being debated by the General Assembly. Critical home and community based services seniors rely on for their health, safety and independence are set to be left severely under- funded. Over $150 million was put into more expensive institutional care, with nursing homes receiving large rate increases. AARP stands in strong opposition to any budget threatening in-home and community based services.

"At a time when Illinois should be looking for ways to expand home and community based services we are forced to fight for their very existence," said Jill Daigh, an AARP legislative volunteer. "In the budget being debated, Illinois' frailest people will be forced to leave their homes and seek very basic and non-medical services in nursing homes."

Under-funding for in-home services will affect critical areas in Social Services, with hundreds of frail elderly losing in-home services, and another 46,000 will have their services drastically reduced. This also means programs delivering meals to rural seniors -- helping seniors manage their medications and improving community programs for older adults to make them more client- focused -- will all see serious cut-backs.

"On behalf of its 1.7 million members in Illinois, AARP stands in strong opposition to any budget that cuts short critical in-home services while giving such a large increase to institutional care," added Frank Price, an AARP legislative volunteer. "This budget would place the health, safety and independence of Illinois seniors in jeopardy -- and that's bad news for all of us."

According to a recent AARP survey, 87% of its 1.7 million members in Illinois support providing enough assistance for older adults to remain in their homes for as long as possible.

AARP has over 1.7 million members in Illinois. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to making life better for people 50 and over.

We provide information and resources; engage in legislative, regulatory and legal advocacy; assist members in serving their communities; and offer a wide range of unique benefits, special products, and services for our members. These include AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; Segunda Juventud, our quarterly newspaper in Spanish; Live and Learn, our quarterly newsletter for National Retired Teachers Association members; and our web site, http://www.aarp.org/. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Source: AARP