Don’t make cuts to supportive living

Illinois’ Supportive Living Program provides area seniors and their families the help they need at a price they can afford. This lower cost alternative to traditional nursing home care has been lauded as the best affordable assisted living program in the country.

As a local Supportive Living administrator at Victory Centre of Bartlett, I strongly oppose Gov. Quinn’s proposed Supportive Living budget cuts and ask the citizens of Bartlett to help support this cause.

Victory Centre of Bartlett is one of 125 Supportive Living Facilities located throughout Illinois that provides a sensible and cost-effective solution to the growing need for affordable, residential living and support service options for senior citizens and persons with disabilities who are in need. Administered through the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Supportive Living combines apartment-style living with personal care and other services that are covered by the state’s Medicaid program.

Before the introduction of Supportive Living in 1996, seniors and persons with disabilities were served in more costly nursing home settings, even when they didn’t need that level of care. Compared to nursing homes, SLFs offer a more appropriate housing option and desired lifestyle at a 40 percent cost savings.

Thanks to this unique state program, Supportive Living residents who qualify for financial assistance can live affordably and independently in an environment where personal choice, dignity, privacy and individuality are emphasized. Again, please support Supportive Living by opposing the Governor’s proposed budget cuts to a program that saves money and improves lives.

Dave Dickinson, executive director

Victory Centre of Bartlett