HR0469 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0469 LRB101 12890 MST 61725 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Donald E. "Don" Fike on his 50th year in the profession of long-term care and community services; and

WHEREAS, Don Fike was born in 1947 and raised in Illinois; he received his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and his master's degree in health care administration from DePaul University; and

WHEREAS, In 1969, Don Fike applied for a job with a community human services agency that provided sheltered workshop opportunities for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Next door was a nursing home with individuals who had intellectual/developmental disabilities; Don Fike recognized the difference in caring for the elderly and caring for those with intellectual/developmental disabilities and was determined to create a continuum of care that would provide, in a protected residential setting, coordination and integration of health and habilitative services to help each individual function at their greatest ability; and

WHEREAS, Don Fike took this vision and created Horizon House of Illinois Valley; Horizon House was one of the first in the State to be licensed as a community-based ICF/DD, providing services for those with intellectual/developmental disabilities covered by Medicaid; and

WHEREAS, In 1979, Don Fike started his own company in order to share his expertise and consult with human service providers; and

WHEREAS, Beginning in 1981, Don Fike began constructing and operating skilled nursing facilities throughout Illinois in order to offer long-term services; and

WHEREAS, In 1983, Don Fike was asked to assume control of the State's large developmental disability facilities in order to save the facilities from closure; and

WHEREAS, In 1985, Don Fike was the first to develop 15 bed community-based ICF/DDs to better serve individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities; in his career, he has established over 175 facilities across the State, which have enriched the lives of tens of thousands of individuals; and

WHEREAS, In the early 1990s, Don Fike was also one of the first to develop community integrated living arrangements that offered homelike supervised living for adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities; with no more than eight individuals residing in each home, over 60 CILA's were created, which have served thousands of individuals across the State; and

WHEREAS, While Don Fike continued to provide care to seniors in skilled nursing facilities, he envisioned another level of care that was not currently being offered, serving seniors who rely on help with daily care but did not require as much help as those who lived in skilled nursing facilities; he was instrumental in envisioning and driving the efforts to create assisted living licensure and rules for the program, which has blossomed into over 650 assisted living and supportive living communities across the State; and

WHEREAS, Don Fike is recognized as one of the visionary founders and leaders in moving individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities out of State-operated developmental centers and creating smaller, home-like, quality, community-based residential homes and services throughout Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Don Fike has been one of the visionary leaders in developing and providing quality, compassionate care and services to seniors in skilled nursing, assisted living, supportive living, and independent senior homes and apartments; he now operates a number of long-term care models in Illinois, Florida, Iowa, and Nevada; in his career, he has created over 50 facilities and programs, which have served hundreds of thousands of individuals; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Donald E. Fike on 50 years of serving the needs of individuals who need specialized care; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Don Fike as an expression of our esteem and respect.