HB5163 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB093 15232 DRJ 40828 b

93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
HB5163

Introduced 02/05/04, by Joseph M. Lyons

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 105/4.12 new

Amends the Illinois Act on the Aging. Requires the Department on Aging, in cooperation with the departments of Public Health, Public Aid, and Human Services, to implement a quality profile system for nursing homes and, beginning July 1, 2005, assisted living facilities. Requires the Department on Aging to develop the quality profiles using surveys of consumers of long-term care services. Requires implementation of a system for dissemination of the profiles to consumers, providers, and purchasers of long-term care services by July 1, 2005.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning aging.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Act on the Aging is amended by adding Section 4.12 as follows:

(20 ILCS 105/4.12 new)

Sec. 4.12. Long-term care quality profiles.

(a) Quality profiles. The Department on Aging, in cooperation with the departments of Public Health, Public Aid, and Human Services, shall develop and implement a quality profile system for facilities licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act and, beginning not later than July 1, 2005, facilities licensed as assisted living establishments under the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act. The system must be developed and implemented to the extent possible without the collection of significant amounts of new data. To the extent possible, the system must incorporate or be coordinated with information on quality maintained by the Department on Aging, the departments of Public Health, Public Aid, or Human Services, area agencies on aging, the Office of State Long Term Care Ombudsman established under Section 4.04, long-term care trade associations, and other entities. The system must be designed to provide information on quality of facilities and services to the following:

(1) Consumers of long-term care services and their families, to facilitate informed choices of service providers.

(2) Providers of long-term care services, to enable them to measure the results of their quality improvement efforts and compare quality achievements with other service providers.

(3) Public and private purchasers of long-term care services, to enable them to purchase high-quality care.

The system must be developed in consultation with area agencies on aging and with representatives of consumers of long-term care services, providers of long-term care services, and labor unions. Within the limits of available appropriations, the Department on Aging may employ consultants to assist with this project.

(b) Quality measurement tools. The Department on Aging shall identify and apply existing quality measurement tools to do the following:

(1) Emphasize quality of care and its relationship to quality of life.

(2) Address the needs of various users of long-term care services, including, but not limited to, short-stay residents, persons with behavioral problems, persons with dementia, and persons who are members of minority groups.

The tools must be identified and applied, to the extent possible, without requiring providers to supply information beyond current State and federal requirements.

(c) Consumer surveys. Following identification of the quality measurement tools under subsection (b), the Department on Aging shall conduct surveys of consumers of long-term care services to develop quality profiles of providers of long-term care services. To the extent possible, the surveys must be conducted face-to-face by State employees or contractors. At the discretion of the Department, the surveys may be conducted by telephone or by provider staff. Surveys must be conducted periodically to update quality profiles of individual service providers.

(d) Dissemination of profiles. By July 1, 2005, the Department on Aging shall implement a system to disseminate the quality profiles developed under this Section. The profiles may be disseminated through the Department to consumers, providers, and purchasers of long-term care services through all feasible printed and electronic outlets. The Department may conduct a public awareness campaign to inform potential users of long-term care services regarding profile contents and potential uses.