Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILA) and Intermediate Care Facility for persons with Developmental Disabilities (ICF/DD) homes are group living spaces that allow adults with developmental disabilities to live with some degree of independence.
When placing a loved one in these facilities, it’s important to know they’ll be living in a safe and supportive environment that helps meet their individual needs. However, those with developmental and mental disabilities are often vulnerable to abuse and neglect, so informed evaluation is essential.
How Safe Are Community Integrated Living Arrangements?
CILA homes must follow a regulatory process to become licensed and are inspected multiple times to ensure compliance. While most CILAs are compliant and provide needed care and support to their residents, some have had documented failures to meet state safety standards.
Looking at recent audits and investigation reports and learning common risks of abuse and neglect can help you ensure a CILA home is safe before trusting it with your loved one’s care.
What Recent Findings Have Shown About Safety in CILA Homes
The 2024 Illinois Auditor General’s Report found several issues with how CILAs are regulated and inspected. Some key findings include:
Inadequate Enforcement
- The Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) applied punishment unequally among CILA providers, with some homes having their licenses revoked for unaddressed deficiencies while others were seemingly allowed to continue operating without consequence.
- The department didn’t enforce admission restrictions on providers placed on probation for bad survey scores, leading to at least five residents being assigned to homes the state considered inadequate.
- DHS failed to sanction a provider that refused to cooperate with state investigations in 22 separate instances.
- More than 40 percent of critical incident reports between 2020 and 2023 weren’t made within two working days, as is required. Because timely reporting requirements weren’t enforced, one provider took more than a year and a half on average to report incidents that occurred in 2020.
Sloppy Reporting and Recordkeeping
- DHS didn’t ensure all CILA providers complied with a self-assessment process put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, with some 36% of homes not participating.
- DHS didn’t properly document many self-reported violations from CILA providers, including a failure to issue a Notice of Violation for a provider that self-reported nine violations.
- DHS failed to properly enter some of its issued Notices of Violation into its database, and didn’t properly document late reporting by five providers.
Underdeveloped Procedures
- DHS failed to develop rules for emergency calls from CILAs despite being required to do so by law. After delaying for more than three years, the required rules didn’t include any penalties for non-compliance.
- The Auditor General found that reporting criteria between agencies for critical incidents is inconsistent and results in under-reporting.
- A DHS CILA monitoring unit has been operating under draft policies and procedures for five years.
- DHS didn’t ensure ISCs were conducting mandatory follow-up visits after critical incidents, with 76% of required next-day visits either not happening on time or not happening at all.
Common Risks in CILA and ICF/DD Homes
CILA and ICF/DD homes face many of the same risks of abuse and neglect as nursing homes, with institutional failures leaving residents vulnerable to harm. Common safety risks in Illinois group homes include:
Abuse – CILA residents may be exposed to physical, verbal, sexual, emotional, or financial abuse by staff or other residents. If not provided proper care and support, they can also be vulnerable to neglect and abandonment, suffering as their important needs are not met.
Staffing and Supervision Failures – Many homes suffer from understaffing, which can make issues with employee qualifications even worse. A provider desperate for additional help may cut corners when screening and training new employees, creating more potential for abuse or neglect.
Health and Safety Concerns – CILA residents often have important medical needs. If staff fail to properly monitor residents, ignore their health issues, and make medication errors, they can be at risk of great harm.
What To Consider Before Placing Your Loved One in a CILA or ICF/DD Home
Ensuring the group home your loved one will live in is safe and supportive is important for their future and for your peace of mind. Factors to evaluate the level of care can include:
- Whether staff are qualified and properly trained
- The ratio of staff to residents and whether adequate supervision is provided
- The home’s licensing status and compliance with state regulations
- The level of family involvement and communication allowed
Signing up your loved one for a CILA or ICF/DD home is a hard decision that can have life-changing effects on both of you, so finding the right environment is crucial. If Medicaid does not cover all costs, prioritize proven quality of care over price alone.
Questions to Ask When Considering a CILA or ICF/DD Home
If you think you’ve found the right fit for your loved one, asking the right questions can help you ensure they’ll be safe and properly cared for. Some important questions to ask a potential CILA or ICF/DD provider include:
- What qualifications and training does the staff have?
- How many residents are there per caregiver, and how is supervision managed?
- What systems are in place for monitoring and reporting incidents of abuse or neglect?
- Can you review incident reports, audits, or inspections of the facility?
- What steps does the facility take to ensure residents’ safety and well-being?
If Your Loved One Has Suffered in a CILA Home, They Deserve Justice
CILA and ICF/DD group homes in Illinois are intended to be safe, supportive environments to help residents thrive and develop personal independence. When providers allow abuse and neglect, they not only hurt and betray those in their care, but they also harm an entire system designed to help vulnerable individuals.
If your loved one has experienced abuse or neglect in a group home, the experienced CILA abuse lawyers with Levin & Perconti can help you get the justice and compensation your family deserves. Contact us online or call 877-374-1417 for a free case evaluation.
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