SPRINGFIELD – Future residents searching for a long-term care facilities could avoid being misled about available services, thanks to a measure led State Senator Karina Villa (D-West Chicago).
“People should be given the right to know information regarding potential assisted living facilities without misleading information,” Villa said. “Finding the right long-term care facility is already difficult and stressful – people don’t need misleading information to make the process even more arduous.”
Villa’s measure would eliminate an obligation for the Illinois Department on Aging’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program to label the Consumer Choice search tool with the name “Resident’s Right to Know.” This elimination would allow residents additional information on services offered by facilities, including memory care, transportation, dialysis, multilingual staff and more without being misled or confused.
“Every person should have the same access to resources when making a life-altering decision,” Villa said. “My hope is that eliminating the confusion will allow those in need of long-term care facility assistance greater peace of mind.”
Senate Bill 4024 passed the State Government committee and now heads to the Senate floor for further consideration.
Senator Villa is a longstanding champion of helping older adults and people in long-term care facilities. She hosts a monthly Senior Advisory Committee on the second Friday of each month at 10 a.m. on Zoom. To receive the link and agenda contact Villa’s office at seniors.25th@gmail.com.