- Published: Friday, March 08, 2019 08:55 AM
Following an investigation by Chicago Tribune/Kaiser Health News revealing wide dissatisfaction in nursing home care and illuminating the burden it places on the families of elders, State Senator Jacqueline Collins introduced legislation today designed to enhance nursing home residents’ quality of care.
“It has been both heartbreaking and motivating to me, through my work, to see how devastating it can be for an entire family when a loved one receives inadequate care in a nursing home,” said Collins (D-Chicago) in announcing Senate Bill 1510 at the state capitol to reporters today.
The legislation calls for stricter enforcement of the state’s minimum staffing requirements, heightened public transparency of nursing home violations, and enhanced safeguards regarding a psychotropic medication and a resident’s right to informed consent.
In 2015, 39 percent of nursing homes in Illinois received a low quality rating from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services. Eighty-four percent of voters in Illinois say that action
should be taken in 2019 to increase the quality of care in Illinois nursing homes, according to an AARP Illinois survey.
Collins was joined by state Rep. Anna Moeller, sponsor of House Bill 2974, which would provide a non-refundable tax credit up to $1,500 for eligible family caregivers who pay for adult day services, transportation, equipment, home modifications and other expenses when caring for family. The survey found that 62 percent of Illinois family caregivers pay expenses out-of-pocket to care for an elder.
To view the AARP survey detailing this and other information surrounding elder care in Illinois visit: https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00259.052
