(210 ILCS 9/5)
Sec. 5.
Legislative purpose.
The purpose of this Act is to permit the
development and
availability of assisted living establishments and shared housing
establishments
based on a social
model that promotes the dignity, individuality, privacy, independence,
autonomy, and decision-making ability and the right to negotiated risk of
those persons; to provide
for the health, safety,
and welfare of those residents residing in assisted living and shared housing
establishments in
this State; to promote continuous quality improvement in assisted living; and
to encourage the
development of innovative and affordable assisted living establishments and
shared housing
with service establishments for elderly persons of all income levels. It is
the public policy of
this State that assisted living is an important part of the continuum of
long term care. In support
of the goal of aging in place within the parameters established by this Act,
assisted living
and shared housing establishments shall be operated as
residential environments
with supportive services designed to meet the individual resident's changing
needs and
preferences. The residential environment shall be designed to encourage family
and community
involvement. The services available to residents, either directly or through
contracts or
agreements, are intended to help residents remain as independent as possible.
Assisted living,
which promotes resident choice, autonomy, and decision making, should be based
on a contract
model designed to result in a negotiated agreement between the resident or
the resident's
representative and the provider, clearly identifying the services to be
provided. This model
assumes that residents are able to direct services provided for them and will
designate a
representative to direct
these services if they themselves are unable to do so. This model supports
the
principle that there is
an acceptable balance between consumer protection and resident willingness
to accept risk and
that most consumers are competent to make their own judgments about the
services they are
obtaining. Regulation of assisted living establishments and shared housing
establishments must
be sufficiently flexible to allow residents to age in place within the
parameters of this Act.
The
administration of this Act and services provided must therefore ensure that the
residents have the rights and responsibilities to direct the scope of services
they
receive and to make individual choices based on their needs and preferences.
These
establishments shall be operated in a manner that provides the least
restrictive and
most homelike environment and that promotes independence, autonomy,
individuality,
privacy, dignity, and the right to negotiated risk in residential
surroundings. It is not the intent of the State that establishments licensed
under this Act
be used as halfway houses for alcohol and substance abusers.
(Source: P.A. 91-656, eff. 1-1-01.)
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