Health & Fitness
Feigenholtz Highlights Efforts to Assist Illinois Seniors
With July recognized as Elder Abuse Awareness and Prevention month, state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz is highlighting her recent efforts to protect and assist seniors.
CHICAGO, IL – With July recognized as Elder Abuse Awareness and Prevention month, state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz is highlighting her recent efforts to protect and assist seniors.
“It is important that lawmakers make sure to have policies in place protecting our seniors,” Feigenholtz said. “Through some useful measures we are keeping seniors healthy, happy, and independent. I am firmly committed to making sure our seniors have access to quality care and important resources.”
To ensure seniors have access to affordable health care, Feigenholtz sponsored and passed House Bill 2275, to reform the state’s home health care services. The Community Care Program (CCP) allows Illinois seniors to receive health care services at home at a quarter of the cost of traditional nursing homes. The new law implements cost-saving measures including inter-agency data sharing, managed care models, enhanced federal matching funds, Medicaid enrollment and processing, rate freezes, and stringent personnel policies aimed at streamlining existing services and serving more seniors for the same amount of money.
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Feigenholtz also supported a proposal to make it easier to identify and report abuse. The new law requires the state police to be trained to recognize signs of physical abuse, financial abuse, and neglect of seniors. It also creates a 24-hour hotline to take in reports of abuse and begin investigations. Any instances of abuse or neglect by caregivers will be accessible on an online database for seniors and their families to view when they are making health care decisions.
The Illinois Department of Aging administers this hotline and follow-ups on reports of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of a senior or adult with disabilities. The number for the 24-hour Adult Protective Services Hotline is (866) 800-1409 or TTY (888) 206-1327.
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“Every day families, friends, and caregivers do their best to protect their loved ones from neglect and abuse,” Feigenholtz said. “This new hotline gives families another way to report instances of senior abuse. I believe these new laws will have a strong and positive impact on the lives of seniors in Illinois.”
For more information please contact Feigenholtz’s constituent services office at (773) 296-4141 or sara@staterepsara.com.
