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Illinois
Council on Long Term Care
Illinois Health Care Association
Life Services Network of Illinois
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2006
97%
of Illinois Legislative Candidates Support Increased
Funding
for Innovations in Long-Term Care
CHICAGO – Ninety-seven
percent of 61 state candidates responding to a recent
survey feel that Illinois allocate $20 million to fund
the Innovations in Long Term Care Quality Grants Program
sponsored by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
This noteworthy program provides grants to nursing homes
to develop progressive initiatives to improve
residents’ care and foster their quality of life.
“Today’s seniors had a vision
for our future. We should do the same for their
future,” said Dennis Bozzi, President of Life Services
Network of Illinois. “It was the dreams and struggles
of our parents and grandparents that have made life
meaningful for us. It is now our job to create a
life-giving environment to make life meaningful for
them.”
The Illinois Council on Long Term
Care, the Illinois Health Care Association and Life
Services Network of Illinois recently distributed a
questionnaire about the key issues affecting the care of
nursing home residents to all state candidates running
for representative and senator.
When nursing homes were created by
the Medicare Act of 1965, the intended model for nursing
homes was to be “mini-hospitals,” built and operated
on a medical model of care. Over the years, providers
have learned that a person’s well-being encompasses so
much more than good medical care. Relationships, choice,
control over personal decisions, social involvement, a
feeling of purpose, and being able to contribute to
others are all necessary elements of a person’s
recuperation and healthy lifestyle.
“Nursing homes professionals have
come to realize that the strict hospital medical model
over time can cure the body, but damage the spirit,”
said Terrence Sullivan, executive director of the
Illinois Council on Long Term Care. “In response,
there has been a revolution of the spirit in long term
care. Many different models are being tried to enhance
the ability of people to lead involved and meaningful
lives, even in the midst of medical problems.”
Some of the innovative ways that
Illinois nursing home professionals are creating a
life-enriching environment for elderly Illinois citizens
include:
·
Enabling
residents to retain more control over their lives by
allowing them to create their own daily schedules, get
up out of bed when they want to, eat their meals at
their own choosing, make their own decisions surrounding
bathing, and go to bed when they decide it’s best.
Instead of having to simply comply with the staff’s
schedules, residents have greater flexibility in how
they wish to conduct their own daily activities.
·
Expanding
residents’ mealtime hours and scheduling, so they have
a larger window of opportunity for when they can
sit down to breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some facilities
have put buffet and family-style dining programs into
place, offering residents a wider selection of food
options.
·
Creating a
"Human Habitat" in which a typical
"medical model" nursing home setting is
transformed into a nurturing, home-like environment.
This model encourages the use of dogs, cats, birds,
plants, children, and gardens to make a living
environment less hospital-like and more comfortable.
·
Developing
special units and programs to provide cutting edge and
holistic care to persons with such conditions as
Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease,
respiratory problems, kidney failure and complex wounds.
These special care programs often feature advanced staff
training, progressive nursing interventions,
individualized activity programs, therapeutic
environments, and the involvement of specialty
physicians to oversee the residents’ progress.
Illinois’
Innovations in Long-Term Care Quality Grants Program was
founded four years ago to promote state-of-the-art
practices, culture change and person-centered care. It
wasn’t until just recently that this program awarded
its first grant. The nursing home community would like
to see this important program expanded with a $20
million funding infusion to create real change in the
way long-term care is provided to Illinois seniors.
“These elders have
worked hard all their lives for our benefit, and deserve
the best care possible during their later years,” said
Dave Voepel, executive director of the Illinois Health
Care Association. “The state should nurture innovative
programs that provide these seniors with the highest
quality of life. Providing financial incentives will do
a world of good in encouraging the development of
progressive models of care.”
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The state’s three long term care
associations – the Illinois Council on Long Term Care,
the Illinois Health Care Association, and Life Services
Network of Illinois – have joined together as the
Illinois Long Term Care Coalition to educate
policymakers about their commitment to care. This
coalition represents more than 60,000 healthcare
professionals, therapists and caregivers serving 80,000
residents in more than 800 specialized nursing and
rehabilitation facilities in Illinois.
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