Caregiving Coalition Budget Response to the Governor’s Budget Address:

SPRINGFIELD-Following is the joint statement of Illinois Caring Across Generations, Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans, Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living, Access Living, Jane Addams Senior Caucus and SEIU Healthcare Illinois in response to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s budget address Wednesday:

“At a time when the Illinois senior population is growing and federal Medicaid and other support for people with disabilities is under attack, the governor’s budget address today provided a good opportunity to affirm the state’s longstanding support for investments in home healthcare and community-based supports. Experts, advocates and health professionals all agree that dollars spent to keep seniors and people with disabilities in their homes not only saves taxpayers but leads to better outcomes and independence for consumers.

“Unfortunately, in Illinois the past several years under this governor, we have seen administrative cuts to services, new hurdles to employment, no shift away from segregated institutional housing and threats to the home care workforce, a continuing cycle of low wages and massive proposed decreases in funding.

“In writing off and rolling back agreed upon rate and wage increases for caregivers in the FY 2019 budget, the governor is enhancing the prospect for instability and high turnover in the program, at the very time that the services are in higher demand.

“We call on Gov. Rauner to take a new approach and on the General Assembly to insist on protections for the Community Care Program and the Home Services Program as the budget process moves forward.”

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