A bill removing a barrier to access assisted living care for prospective residents requiring sliding scale insulin has become law in Illinois.
House Bill 3172, approved Aug. 4 by Gov. J. B. Pritzker (D), removes language in the Assisted Living and Shared Housing Act that states that older adults cannot live in assisted living communities if they require sliding scale insulin to be administered by a licensed healthcare professional. Residents who could not find or afford a private-duty, licensed healthcare professional were required to move to a skilled nursing setting under the old law.
It is effective Jan. 1.
LeadingAge Illinois and the Illinois Health Care Association supported the change in law, saying it would give older adults more choices and allow people with diabetes to live in a less restrictive setting for a longer period of time.
“With the prevalence of diabetes in the population, we believe insulin support is vital in assisted living communities,” LeadingAge Illinois President and CEO Angela Schnepf told McKnight’s Senior Living. “Allowing the community to provide that support gives residents more choice and the opportunity to have more consistent insulin support in the setting they choose.”
Bill sponsor Sen. Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City) called the bill “common-sense change.”
“I believe this is a common-sense change that can make a real difference in terms of access to care for some individuals,” Bennett said in a statement. “I want to make sure that people who need to reside in an assisted living facility have access to those facilities.”
