May 24, 2023
Older Americans Month: Aging Unbound in Illinois
Each May, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) leads the nationwide observance of Older Americans Month. The Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans, along with our National Alliance, other state chapters, and the Department of Aging, along with various state agencies celebrate Older Americans and support their needs through advocacy.
In 2023, the theme for Older Americans Month is Aging Unbound, which offers an opportunity to explore diverse aging experiences and discuss how communities can combat stereotypes.
Read the White House Older Americans Month Proclamation Here.
In Illinois, Governor JB Pritzker issued a proclamation stating,
“Seniors are the backbone of Illinois–and they deserve to live with autonomy and dignity. My administration remains committed to making sure elders have every opportunity to thrive in their own communities.” –Governor JB Pritzker
The Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) funds and administers senior services in Illinois. In a press release regarding Older Americans Month, IDoA proclaimed combatting stereotypes and empowering older adults to thrive in their communities are some of their core priorities.
Read the Illinois Department on Aging Press Release for Older Americans Here.
The largest program currently funded and operated by the IDoA is the Community Care Program (CCP). Over 100,000 seniors are able to stay in their homes and age with dignity and autonomy using CCP–63,400 individuals who are served directly through CCP, as well as an additional 51,000 who receive Aging Waiver services through their Managed Care Organization.
However, there is currently a dramatic workforce shortage in the Community Care Program due to low wages and substandard training. Illinois currently needs an additional 9,000 home care workers this year and every year for the next decade in order to keep up with the service needs of a quickly growing senior population. This shortage is causing a steep increase in the number of care hours that are not being met, which jeopardizes the health and well-being of seniors, even putting their lives at risk.
Home care workers need better pay and improved training for CCP to retain them and attract additional high-quality workers so that seniors and people with disabilities can be confident in the care they are receiving. The Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans supports HB 2718/SB 1980 which raises the minimum wage for home care workers to $18 per hour. We are also supporting HB 3021/ SB 2004 which creates new standards for paid training for CCP workers which includes requirements for all training hours to be paid at the worker’s regular rate of pay.
These two pieces of legislation are vital in building the home care workforce our state desperately needs as Illinoisans age. Unfortunately, these bills are not moving through the General Assembly, so the Illinois Alliance joined SEIU Illinois in Springfield this past March to call on our legislators to ensure funding for these initiatives in the final budget.
Governor Pritzker’s proposed budget for 2024 includes $49.5 million to increase the reimbursement rate for home care services which will increase workers’ pay, upon approval of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The budget proposal also includes $1 million to enhance the support services that IDoA and Illinois’ Aging Network provide to unpaid family caregivers who need respite care, resource navigation, and/or counseling.
Join the calls from SEIU and the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans and contact your lawmakers today and demand that pay for home care workers be protected in the budget.
Find Your Illinois Legislators HERE.