COSTELLO: 'I'm here to fight for you'

<span>CHESTER -- With Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Democrat-controlled Legislature still at an impasse over the overall budget for fiscal year 2016, State Rep. Jerry Costello II (D-Smithton) stopped at area senior centers on Wednesday as part of a senior Listening Tour.</span>

<span>Mostly an informational/question and answer session, the tour gave regional senior citizens a chance to directly speak to Costello about issues important to them. The Chester stop was the last of three on the tour, which included the Waterloo Senior Center and the Sparta Senior Center.</span>

<span>"To be frank with you, my opinion is one of the major issues that we have in this country and in our state is the breakdown of the family system," Costello said. "You all were a different generation than what we've currently seen and I think a lot of the issues that we currently have in our society are because of a breakdown of the family group.</span>

<span>"I thank you for everything that you've done to make our communities what they are and I thank you for everything your generation has done to contribute to the family and family structure."</span>

<span>Costello was joined on the tour by guest speakers AARP Associate State Director Julie Vahling and Ella York from the Illinois Attorney General's Office.</span>

<span>"Regardless of where you live, there's a certain level of quality of life and that's what AARP fights for," Vahling said. "One of the bills we worked on this past legislative session is called the CARE (Caregiver Advise, Record and Enable) Act, which Costello was one of the sponsors on."</span>

<span>Vahling said the bill, known as Senate Bill 1298, has been sent to Rauner for his signature. According to the Illinois General Assembly's website, the bill passed both houses on May 13 and was sent to Rauner on June 11.</span>

<span>"What it does is it develops a system that all hospitals across the state will use," Vahling said. "When you get admitted to a hospital, you will identify who your caregiver is.</span>

<span>"Then that person will be notified if something changes in your treatment at the hospital or if you're getting ready for dismissal or if you need to go to a rehab facility after surgery."</span>

<span>Vahling said upon dismissal, hospital staff now have a procedure to make sure that the caregiver is fully aware of any treatment the patient may need, including written instructions.</span>

<span>"This is really important because it helps people not be re-admitted into the hospital," she said.</span>

<span>One of the highlights of Costello's presentation was making sure the Community Care Program (CCP) stays open and funded at its current level.</span>

<span>According to the Illinois Department on Aging's website, the CCP was founded in 1979 to "help s</span><span>enior citizens, who might otherwise need nursing home care, to remain in their own homes by providing in-home and community-based services."</span>

<span>Costello said the program has been one of Rauner's targeted budget cuts.</span>

<span>"Here's some of the major issues I have," Costello said. "One, from a humanitarian standpoint, the dignity of life. You all deserve to be in your homes for as long as you possibly can while you still have your faculties about you and while someone who you desire can still take care of you."</span>

<span>"Secondly, It costs roughly three times more to put someone in a facility than to have in-home care," Costello added. "It doesn't make business or financial sense to go after this program, that's my personal opinion."</span>

<span>Costello also touched on the Determination Of Need (DON) score and Rauner's plan to increase the minimum required score to obtain services through the CCP.</span>

<span>Federal approval is required to raise the score, and the federal government previously turned down a request from Illinois in 2013 to increase the DON score.</span>

<span>"For a number of state programs, in order for you to qualify, you have to meet a certain Determination Of Need program," Costello said. "Which is an income level that if you exceed that level, you don't qualify."</span>

<span>Costello said the new minimum income level would be between $8,000 and $9,000 higher than what it is now. In previous media reports, it was reported that Rauner's plan is for an income level of $17,500.</span>

<span>"The governor wants to raise that considerably and I have a major issue with that," Costello said. "Most of you are living on fixed incomes and you're not rich by any means. This would drastically change your ability to get services from the State of Illinois."</span>

<span>Lastly, Costello used the opportunity to bring awareness to his petition to keep the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta open. Later Wednesday, he went door-to-door to area businesses in passing out copies of the petition.</span>

<span>"The Grand American brings in $10 million to $12 million in about 10 days to this area," Costello said to those in attendance at the Senior Center. "Sparta, Chester, Marissa, Baldwin, the whole outlying areas benefit dramatically."</span>

<span>Costello said he has "a couple thousand" signatures thus far and is aiming for 10,000. He previously told the Herald Tribune he will personally deliver the petitions to Rauner.</span>

<span>"Keeping in mind that this has nothing to do with the Attorney General's Office or the AARP, this is me as your state representative, I would ask you to sign the petition," he said. "(Rauner) needs to know there is support in Southern Illinois and our region to maintain the world shooting complex and that it's a vital part of our economic system and economic progress in Southern Illinois.</span>

<span>"I'm here to fight for you."</span>