WREX.com – Rockford’s News LeaderLifescape facing, making tough cuts

Lifescape facing, making tough cuts

ROCKFORD (WREX) - Lifescape's Brightside Adult Day Service is expected to lose half of its clients because of state budget cuts.

The Illinois Department on Aging has been instructed to cut $18 million out of its budget.  These cuts will be felt in Lifescape's Brightside Adult Day Service.

Beginning October 1, seniors will be informed that their services will be cut. Lifescape may have to close two of its three Brightside Adult Day Service locations in Rockford and Belvidere.

Brightside's adult day service program offers support and supervision of seniors while their family members work, medication reminders so that seniors can stay at home, and case management services to make sure that they get necessary services to stay in their own homes safely.

A hotline has been established to call Gov. Pat Quinn to tell him to stop the cuts to services for the frail elderly. Call 1-888-616-3322.

Also, Lifescape Community Services will no longer be providing its Retired and Senior Volunteer Program to people in Rockford and Belvidere.

In a statement released Tuesday, Lifescape says it can no longer afford to keep the program running.

"Some additional requirements for RSVP programs funded by CNCS conflict with other programming efforts, and as a result, the leadership of Lifescape has agreed for (CNCS) to seek out another agency to provide RSVP services," said Lifescape CEO Carol Green.

Green says Lifescape will work to help people transition to the new program.

The program through Lifescape will end January 1, 2010. Lifescape has run the program for the past 30 years.