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Pending approval from the General Assembly, the funding for older Illinoisans will receive nearly an eight percent increase in the fiscal year 2001 budget for the Illinois Department on Aging. The states portion of the overall spending is $ 234. 9 million and funds the Departments Community Care program at $ 205 million. The program provides senior citizens with home care services, adult day services and custodial care. The eight percent increase is drastically needed according to Carol Aronson, spokesperson for the Shawnee Alliance for seniors.
Senior programs are underpaid compared to the services of Department of Children and Family Services with a much lower rate of funds for seniors, even with an eight percent increase, Aronson said. An additional $ 7 million has been allocated to the Elder Abuse and Neglect Program, an increase of 11 percent. Community based agencies will be able to respond to over 8, 600 reports of abuse and neglect, which account for a projected increase. The Elder abuse reports have been on the rise every year, prompting Gov. Ryan to also respond to the problem by forming a new Elder Abuse Task Force. The Illinois Department on Agings Elder Abuse and Neglect Program responds to all reports of abuse of people age 60 and older.
The program provides investigation, intervention and follow-up services to victims. Reports are increasing about 10 percent a year, as the older population grows and awareness of the problem increases. The spring session was certainly fruitful for all Illinois seniors, said Illinois Department on Aging Director Margo E. Schreiber.
The budget will help the Illinois Department on Aging fulfill its mission, and we are grateful to the Governor and legislators for their diligent work in addressing the needs and quality of life for the seniors in our state. While the bill awaits approval, a similar proposal for seniors, the 100 percent campaign, has been passed and is a working success according to Susan Patterson, field coordinator for the Egyptian Area Agency on Aging, Inc. Specifically, Senate Bill 677, increased access to the states Medicaid program for those whose income is less than 100 percent of the federal poverty level, or $ 687 a month. Currently, the eligibility is set at $ 308 a month, or 47 percent of the federal poverty level. Through the 100 percent plan, in July 2000 the 47 percent income threshold will jump to 70 percent of the federal poverty level, which will change their income by an additional $ 184.
In July 2001, that level will rise again to 85 percent and by July 2002 will be at 100 percent. The problem with the way the system was, it depended on the income you had, the worst part was that you had to spend down if you were slightly over the $ 308, Patterson said. The other factor involved is that through the Community Care program, less money is used by the state to fund a stay in the nursing home. Many of these people go to the day care during the day and go home with their families at night Patterson said. It is much cheaper to take care of them this way.
The funding directed to case management shows the Governor is deeply committed to the mission of the Community Care Program. It has been an extraordinary year for all Illinoisans, marked by the approval of a $ 48 billion state budget that includes $ 350 million in tax relief, said Schreiber. The Governor and legislators also focused heavily on promoting the quality of life for seniors in our state. As a result of the Tobacco Settlement an additional $ 1 million has been allocated to the Department to provide public outreach to inform seniors about the expansion of the Circuit Breaker/ Pharmaceutical Assistance Program, which helps low-income seniors pay for prescription medications. Ryan signed House Bill 3872 to put those standards in to law during a ceremony with the bill's chief legislative sponsors and supporters including representatives from American Association of Retired Persons, social security coalition, pharmaceutical companies and disability groups. House Bill 3872 provides an increase in the eligibility levels for the circuit breaker program to save taxpayers $ 35 million in each of the next three years.
The program expansion, which Gov. Ryan just signed Monday, will allow an additional 180, 000 seniors some assistance. The bill raised the income level for a two-person household to $ 28, 480, while single people can earn up to $ 21, 218 and be eligible for the program, according to Maureen Squires, spokesperson for the Department on Aging. This program is based for the most vulnerable seniors, Squires said In addition to the rise in the income threshold, the prescription drugs that were available have also been expanded to include Parkinsons disease, lung disease, cancer, glaucoma and Alzheimers disease. Seniors enrolled in the circuit breaker program pay an annual fee and a monthly deductible for the prescription coverage. The new law raised the annual spending cap of $ 2, 000.
The winners of this program are the senior citizens of this state who will see lower costs on medicines because we have expanded the coverage and they will be able to keep more of their tax dollars, Gov. Ryan said. Many seniors feel that they deserve 25 percent of the Tobacco Settlement because they are the victims of smoking. They were the true victims in the settlement, Aronson said.
She attributed that they werent taught that smoking was bad. Now days, it is a personal decision if you want to smoke, you know the affects, but they didnt, Aronson said. The increase of funds was essential for the programs that the Community Care offices provide. One of the newest programs that the Department on Aging will debut by the end year is the Talented Older Persons in Schools Program, which encourages senior volunteers to tutor and mentor Kindergarten through sixth grade students, as well as promote school safety. Part of the eight percent increase is going to be used to start the TOPS program, said Squires.
The increase was in order to pay for the cost of the services we perform and to increase the salaries of the many members of our staff, Aronson said. Schreiber she says she is particularly excited about a new initiative in the budget creating the TOPS program. Everyone who works with seniors will be hearing more about TOPS once it gets off the ground, Schreiber said, it is one more way for older people and youth to connect and has the new twist of having seniors monitor classrooms and playgrounds to help with safety. Earl Graves is one of the many Illinoisans who will be benefiting from the newest proposal. Graves said that he is looking forward to the cost alleviation for his glaucoma medications.
He and 180, 000 Illinoisans will reap the benefits from the newly upgraded program. This is going to make things a lot easier on me, Graves said. Not everyone is so pleased with the outcome of the settlement, the 100 percent program or the eight percent increase because they get nothing. Merle Taylor, Interim Administrator for the Rehab and Care Center of Jackson County, said that the biggest problem in all the changes is that now they have to pay a flat rate for a patient to go to the hospital and they have to pay for their prescriptions. That has been the biggest hurdle over the past few years, we have to pay for all the prescriptions and all the ambulance calls, all the changes that were made, the now balanced budget and we have to outlay the cash, Taylor said. Everything is much more difficult than it was a few years ago, Taylor said, a lot of the facilities deny admission to people.
We cant, we dont deny admission to anyone, we are owned by [Jackson] county, Taylor said. Under paid, over worked and tired of cleaning up other people problems are three things that Taylor, Aronson and Patterson all share the same opinion on. They all feel that if the awareness of where the nursing homes and community care are going is not addressed that a potential disaster may be on hand. We are filing up, we dont have the capabilities, we dont have the proper support staff, Patterson said, We need more help. Bibliography:
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Research essay sample on Abuse And Neglect Quality Of Life
