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Choosing a Long-Term Care Facility

Choosing a long-term care facility often feels like an overwhelming task. However, there are easy-to-follow steps when searching for a facility to meet the needs of an individual. The following resources provide a great deal of information to make the search for the right facility a little easier.

Resources:

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services oversees supportive living facilities. Supportive Living Facilities provide service-enriched housing options to individuals age 65 or older or individuals with disabilities, ages 22-64 years old. The aim of this program is preserving privacy and autonomy while emphasizing health and wellness for people who would otherwise need nursing home care.

  • FEDERAL:
    The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provide the following information:

    • Nursing Homes section of CMS' Web site

    • Nursing Home Compare - provides overviews of individual facilities. One can search by facility name or location. Easy-to-read information on the types of deficiencies a specific facility has received in recent years is also provided.

    • Nursing Home Quality Initiative - provides consumer and provider information regarding the quality of care in nursing homes.

    • Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home - provides detailed information on choosing a nursing facility. (64 pages, PDF file - 665 KB)

    • Long-Term Care Planning Tool - helps people understand what long-term care services are available, how much one can expect to pay for long-term care, and what financing options are available. This tool will ask between 12 and 20 questions and will then provide the long-term care results one needs by comparing the answers to those of individuals with similar profiles.

    • Long-Term Care - explains what long-term care is and the types of long-term care, provides steps to choosing care and guidance on paying for care.

  • NONPROFIT:
    National Consumer Voice for Quality Long Term Care - consumers and advocates who define and achieve quality for people with long-term care needs.