© 2024 Peoria Public Radio
A joint service of Bradley University and Illinois State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Democrats Challenge Rauner Home Health Care Plan

Jonas Boni
/
Flickr

Illinois Democrats and senior-citizen groups are challenging Governor Bruce Rauner’s push to change home health care services. With a growing elderly population, Rauner says the state needs more control over how much it pays home health care workers, and what those services include. Donna Peek is a home health care aid, and member of the union SEIU. She says Rauner’s plan will upend close relationships between clients and their caregivers.

 

 “I’ve been working with seniors long enough to know that the governor’s plans will cost chaos and confusion. Pinching pennies here and there at the expense of seniors is the wrong decision.”

Democrats and groups like AARP say the program is essentially bogus, and 36,000 Illinois residents will lose care. Daniel Biss, a state senator from Evanston and candidate for governor, says he has a proposal to deal with the “silver tide.” But it does not address a central issue: how to pay for it. Both sides acknowledge Illinois is facing a demographic crisis. The aging Baby Boom generation will contribute to a growing elderly population.

Illinois Democrats and senior-citizen groups are challenging Governor Bruce Rauner’s push to change home health care services.

With a growing elderly population, Rauner says the state needs more control over how much it pays home health care workers, and what those services include.

Donna Peek is a home health care aid — and member of the union S-E-I-U. She says Rauner’s plan will upend close relationships between clients and their caregivers.

(2017-05-10-senior-care-cc:10)

“I’ve been working with seniors long enough to know that the governor’s plans will cost chaos and confusion. Pinching pennies here and there at the expense of seniors is the wrong decision.”

Democratic lawmakers say they’re introducing legislation to protect current services. But it won’t include a way to pay for them.

Both sides acknowledge Illinois is facing a demographic crisis. The aging Baby Boom generation will contribute to a growing elderly population.

Tom reports on statehouse issues for NPR Illinois. He's currently a Public Affairs Reporting graduate program student at the University of Illinois Springfield. He graduated from Macalester College. Tom is from New York City where he also did stand-up and improv and wrote for the Awl and WNYC public radio.