State of Illinois Selects Five Supportive Living Facilities To Serve Adults with Physical Disabilities : Dec 19, 2011

Press Release Dec 19, 2011

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) today announced the approval of five Supportive Living Facilities (SLFs) across the state to serve persons aged 22-64 with physical disabilities. These five SLFs will add nearly 450 additional apartments to serve this population.

“We are proud to announce the expansion of the SLF program to serve persons aged 22-64 with physical disabilities,” said HFS Director Julie Hamos. “The Supportive Living Program gives seniors and persons with a disability more lifestyle options, more independence and more control over their own lives. We look forward to the development of this needed housing with services.”

The state’s Medicaid program pays for a portion or all of the medical care and services for eligible SLF residents. Residents are responsible for paying for their housing with Social Security or other personal income.

SLFs give seniors and persons with disabilities a more independent lifestyle option by providing apartment-style living, medication supervision and ongoing health monitoring, personal care, exercise and wellness programs, meals and other services. Residents live in private apartments with a bath and kitchenette. The SLF program puts an emphasis on personal choice and dignity.

An important benefit of SLFs is that they make a critical range of services available at a significantly lower cost than in a nursing home and can successfully prevent or postpone the need for nursing home care.

Since Governor Quinn took office in January 2009, 27 new SLFs have opened. There are currently 133 operational SLFs containing nearly 10,400 apartments located throughout the state.

The following applications have been selected for participation:

• Hawthorn Woods
Route 176 & Thorngate Drive
Hawthorn Woods

• Liberty Oaks
US Route 45 & Mohawk Drive
Bourbonnais

• Liberty Oaks
Oakland Avenue & Linden Street
Carbondale

• Vermillion Development
Cornerstone Commerce Park
Peoria

• Warriors Gateway
254 Elm Street
Rockford

The next step for the five facilities will be to meet the Department’s requirements to become certified to participate in the SLF program. A facility must be certified before it can start accepting residents.

For more information about the Department’s SLF program, go to: http://www.slfillinois.com.

http://www.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=1&RecNum=9933

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