HFS announces 11 applications approved to expand Illinois Supportive Living Program Dementia Care settings

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) today announced the approval of eleven applications to proceed towards certification in the Supportive Living Program for Dementia Care Settings.

The Supportive Living Program is a Medicaid alternative that offers services at a significantly lower cost than a nursing home and can successfully prevent or delay the need for nursing home care. The Supportive Living Program operates through a Home- and Community-Based Services waiver approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This allows Medicaid funds to pay for assisted living services for eligible Medicaid participants who might otherwise live in a nursing home.

The Supportive Living Program gives seniors and persons with physical disabilities a more independent lifestyle option by providing their own apartment which includes a bathroom and kitchen/kitchenette.

The Medicaid program pays for a portion or all the medical care and services for eligible Supportive Living Program residents. Residents decide which program services they will receive and determine their own schedule. Services include meals, housekeeping, laundry, medication management, assistance with activities of daily living, social and health promotion activities, emergency calls systems, wellbeing checks and routine nursing assessments.

Residents are responsible for paying for their housing/rent with Social Security or other personal income.

"The Supportive Living Program offers a set of assisted living-type supports to serve our customers in more home- and community-based settings," Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Theresa Eagleson said. "We are proud to be able to further expand critical and specialized dementia care services to meet the need in several communities that will help improve the quality of life for our customers, and their families."

Supportive Living Program Dementia Care Settings can accept a person with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia. The Department's goal is to provide supportive services that are personalized to meet the unique needs of persons with dementia. The Supportive Living Program Dementia Care Settings promotes independence, dignity, and an improved quality of life for persons aged 65 years and over who have a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or related dementia.

Residents in a dementia care setting receive increased oversight by staff and additional nursing assessments and are provided opportunities for more activities, all in a community setting.

Without the program's dementia care settings, many residents with moderate dementia would have to transfer to a more costly and institutional higher level of care to receive the services and safety interventions they require.

Supportive Living Program Dementia Care Settings receive a specialized rate to meet the increased requirements related to staffing and services.

There are currently 157 operational Supportive Living Program settings with over 13,000 apartments throughout the state. Of these, there are 12 operational Dementia Care Settings with over 300 apartments.

The apartments will be located in the following counties: Cook, DuPage, Lake, St. Clair and Winnebago.

The following applications have been selected to expand the Supportive Living Program for Dementia Care Settings:

Allure Active Living of Zion

3521 16th St

Zion, IL 60099 (Lake)

Asbury Court Senior Living SLF/MCU

1750 Elmhurst Rd

Des Plaines, IL 60018 (Cook)

Bridgeway of Bensenville Supportive Living

303 E Washington St

Bensenville, IL 60106 (DuPage)

Grand Regency of Rockford

2114 S Kishwaukee

Rockford, IL 61104 (Winnebago)

Knollwood Dementia Care

921 Knollwood Village Rd

Caseyville, IL 62232 (St. Clair)

New Day at The Pointe at Kilpatrick

14230 S Kilpatrick Ave

Crestwood, IL 60418 (Cook)

Plum Creek Supportive Living

2801 Algonquin Rd

Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 (Cook)

Prairie Green at Dixie Crossing

1040 Dixie Hwy

Chicago Heights, IL 60144 (Cook)

Reflections Memory Care at Waterford

17400 S Kedzie Ave

Hazel Crest, IL 60429 (Cook)

Tinley Court Supportive Living & Memory Care

17301 Brementowne Rd

Tinley Park, IL 60477 (Cook)

Victory Centre of Roseland

10450 S Michigan Ave

Chicago, IL 60628 (Cook)

The next step for these 11 applicants will be to meet the Department's requirements to become certified to participate in the Supportive Living Program Dementia Care Settings. The selected applicants are required to become operational within 180 days.

The Department may also be contacted for more information about the Supportive Living Program at (217) 782-0545, toll free (844) 528-8444 or email HFS.SLF@illinois.gov.

For more information about the Department's Supportive Living Program, please visit: