Division 5-21. County Homes  

    (55 ILCS 5/5-21001) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-21001)
    Sec. 5-21001. Establishment and maintenance of county home. In any county which establishes and maintains a county sheltered care home or a county nursing home for the care of infirm or chronically ill persons, as provided in Section 5-1005, the County Board shall have power:
    1. To acquire in the name of the county by purchase, grant, gift, or legacy, a suitable tract or tracts of land upon which to erect and maintain the home, and in connection therewith a farm or acreage for the purpose of providing supplies for the home and employment for such patients as are able to work and benefit thereby.
    The board shall expend not more than $20,000 for the purchase of any such land or the erection of buildings without a 2/3 vote of all its members in counties of 300,000 or more population, or a favorable vote of at least a majority of all its members in counties under 300,000 population.
    2. To receive in the name of the county, gifts and legacies to aid in the erection or maintenance of the home.
    3. To appoint a superintendent and all necessary employees for the management and control of the home and to prescribe their compensation and duties.
    4. To arrange for physicians' services and other medical care for the patients in the home and prescribe the compensation and duties of physicians so designated.
    5. To control the admission and discharge of patients in the home.
    6. To fix the rate per day, week, or month which it will charge for care and maintenance of the patients. Rates so established may vary according to the amount of care required, but the rates shall be uniform for all persons or agencies purchasing care in the home except rates for persons who are able to purchase their own care may approximate actual cost.
    7. To make all rules and regulations for the management of the home and of the patients therein.
    8. To make appropriations from the county treasury for the purchase of land and the erection of buildings for the home, and to defray the expenses necessary for the care and maintenance of the home and for providing maintenance, personal care and nursing services to the patients therein, and to cause an amount sufficient for those purposes to be levied upon the taxable property of the counties and collected as other taxes and further providing that in counties with a population of not more than 1,000,000 to levy and collect annually a tax of not to exceed .1% of the value, as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue, of all the taxable property in the county for these purposes. The tax shall be in addition to all other taxes which the county is authorized to levy on the aggregate valuation of the property within the county and shall not be included in any limitation of the tax rate upon which taxes are required to be extended, but shall be excluded therefrom and in addition thereto. The tax shall be levied and collected in like manner as the general taxes of the county, and when collected, shall be paid into a special fund in the county treasury and used only as herein authorized. No such tax shall be levied or increased from a rate lower than the maximum rate in any such county until the question of levying such tax has first been submitted to the voters of such county at an election held in such county, and has been approved by a majority of such voters voting thereon. The corporate authorities shall certify the question of levying such tax to the proper election officials, who shall submit the question to the voters at an election held in accordance with the general election law.
    The proposition shall be in substantially the following form:
--------------------------------------------------------------
    Shall ........ County be authorized
to levy and collect a tax at a rate not            YES
to exceed .1% for the purpose of          --------------------
   ........ (purchasing, maintaining) a            NO
 county nursing home?
--------------------------------------------------------------
    If a majority of votes cast on the question are in favor, the county shall be authorized to levy the tax.
    If the county has levied such tax at a rate lower than the maximum rate set forth in this Section, the county board may increase the rate of the tax, but not to exceed such maximum rate, by certifying the proposition of such increase to the proper election officials for submission to the voters of the county at a regular election in accordance with the general election law. The proposition shall be in substantially the following form:
--------------------------------------------------------------
    Shall the maximum rate
of the tax levied by........            YES
County for the purpose of.......
(purchasing, maintaining) a      -----------------------------
county nursing home be
increased from........ to               NO
........ (not to exceed .1%)
--------------------------------------------------------------
    If a majority of all the votes cast upon the proposition are in favor thereof, the county board may levy the tax at a rate not to exceed the rate set forth in this Section.
    9. Upon the vote of a 2/3 majority of all the members of the board, to sell, dispose of or lease for any term, any part of the home properties in such manner and upon such terms as it deems best for the interest of the county, and to make and execute all necessary conveyances thereof in the same manner as other conveyances of real estate may be made by a county. However, if the home was erected after referendum approval by the voters of the county, it shall not be sold or disposed of except after referendum approval thereof by a majority of the voters of the county voting thereon.
    If the home was erected after referendum approval by the voters of the county, the county nursing home may be leased upon the vote of a 3/5 majority of all the members of the board.
    10. To operate a sheltered care home as a part of a county nursing home provided that a license to do so is obtained pursuant to the Nursing Home Care Act, as amended.
(Source: P.A. 89-185, eff. 1-1-96.)

    (55 ILCS 5/5-21002) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-21002)
    Sec. 5-21002. Cemeteries connected with facility. Any county which, on January 1, 1980, operates a county sheltered care home, county nursing home or county home for the aged, and in connection therewith maintains a cemetery for indigent persons who die while patients or residents of such a home, shall have the power to continue operating and maintaining the cemetery without regard to any changes in the operational status of the home.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/5-21003) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-21003)
    Sec. 5-21003. Management contracts for sheltered care or nursing homes. The county board may, pursuant to Section 5-21006, provide by contract for the management of a county sheltered care home or county nursing home, including the powers and functions set forth in subparagraphs 3 through 7 of Section 5-21001.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/5-21004) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-21004)
    Sec. 5-21004. Joint county homes. Any county may contract with another county or counties jointly to secure, by purchase or otherwise, necessary lands, and to erect and maintain a county sheltered care home or county nursing home under this Division. The approval of the County Board of each county shall be necessary for the exercise of the powers enumerated in Section 5-21001. A joint home may be dissolved or abandoned by agreement of the participating counties, or upon petition to the Circuit Court, upon such terms as are equitable and just to the participating counties.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/5-21005) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-21005)
    Sec. 5-21005. Management of home or farm. Each county sheltered care home or county nursing home shall be conducted by the county, or counties in the case of a joint home, through its or their officers or employees, except that management may be provided by contract pursuant to Section 5-21006. A home shall not be let or rented to any individual, association, or corporation except that a county of more than 150,000 but less than 500,000 population may lease such home to any township in the county having more than 125,000 population. However, the manner of operating a farm or acreage acquired in connection with a county sheltered care home or a county nursing home shall be within the sound discretion of the County Board. Such farms or acreage may be rented or leased to either public or private entities at such time or times and on such terms and conditions, including crop-sharing arrangements, as the Board deems best for the interest of the county.
    The management of any such home or farm may have and maintain a petty cash fund at such sheltered care home or county nursing home in the amount not to exceed $2,500 for the purpose of paying small expenses of not over $100 each.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/5-21006) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-21006)
    Sec. 5-21006. Rules governing county boards. When a county board has decided by majority vote to provide for the management of a county sheltered care home or county nursing home by contract, it shall comply with the following:
    (a) Bids. The board shall advertise for bids by publishing a notice on at least 2 separate days in a newspaper of general circulation published in the county not more than 30 days nor less than 15 days prior to the opening of bids. Such advertisement for bids shall specify the conditions set forth in this Section. Upon the opening of bids, the county board shall award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder except that the board may reject all bids. If the board rejects all bids and votes to obtain new bids, the requirements concerning procedure and advertising set forth in this Section shall apply to such new bids.
    (b) Conditions of Contract. The county board shall not enter into a contract pursuant to this Section which does not contain the following provisions:
    (1) All applicable State and Federal rules and regulations shall be adhered to and full cooperation shall be given to all legitimate State and Federal requests for inspections and information. Such compliance shall include but not be limited to the provisions of the "Nursing Home Care Act", approved August 23, 1979, as amended.
    (2) The powers of the county board contained in Sections 5-21009 and 5-21010 shall be maintained by the board.
    (3) The contractor shall make monthly written reports to the county board or a health services committee of the board and shall meet with the board or its committee at least once every 2 months. The contractor shall also make an annual report to the board. The content of such reports shall be specified in the contract.
    (4) The facilities and records of the home shall be open for inspection by the board at all times.
    (5) No contract may extend for a period beyond 4 years.
(Source: P.A. 86-962; 86-1028.)

    (55 ILCS 5/5-21007) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-21007)
    Sec. 5-21007. Name of joint home. The County Board of the county, or County Boards in the case of a joint home, shall select a suitable name for the home but no name shall employ any word or term indicating that the home is maintained for the care and support of destitute persons.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/5-21008) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-21008)
    Sec. 5-21008. Licensing and regulation. Any county sheltered care home or county nursing home established under this Division shall be subject to the provisions of the "Nursing Home Care Act", as amended.
(Source: P.A. 86-962; 86-1028.)

    (55 ILCS 5/5-21009) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-21009)
    Sec. 5-21009. Purchase of care. Any infirm or chronically ill resident of the county, or resident of participating counties in the case of a joint home, who desires to purchase care and maintenance in the county home with his own funds or with a public aid grant awarded to him under "The Illinois Public Aid Code" may be received and cared for in the home.
    Upon authorization of the County Board, or the County Boards in the case of a joint home, infirm or chronically ill residents of other counties who desire to purchase care and maintenance in the home from their own funds or from public aid grants may also be admitted to the home.
    The Department of Healthcare and Family Services, any local Supervisor of General Assistance, and any other State or local agency may also purchase care in the home for persons under their charge by paying the rates established by the County Board.
(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)

    (55 ILCS 5/5-21010) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-21010)
    Sec. 5-21010. Admission of persons unable to purchase care and maintenance. Any infirm or chronically ill resident of the county, or of a participating county in the case of a joint home, who is unable to purchase care and maintenance in the county home shall be admitted upon the order of the Supervisor of General Assistance of the local governmental unit in which he has residence. If a county has not established a home, or the facilities of the county's home are insufficient, the Supervisor of General Assistance may provide for the admission and maintenance of such person in the home of another county. If the governmental unit fails to pay for the person's care and maintenance, the county may recover the amount due for care by appropriate civil action against the governmental unit.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/5-21011) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-21011)
    Sec. 5-21011. Payment of charges. The charge for care of each patient shall be paid to the superintendent of the home, or otherwise, as provided by the governing County Board or Boards.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/5-21012) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-21012)
    Sec. 5-21012. Reports by superintendent. The superintendent of the home shall annually, and at such other times as may be required by the governing County Board or Boards, make full and complete reports of all moneys received and expended by him and furnish such other information in relation to the home as may be required of him by the County Board or Boards.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/5-21013) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-21013)
    Sec. 5-21013. Records pertaining to patients. The governing County Board or Boards shall keep or cause to be kept accurate records relating to the identification, residence, dates of admission and discharge, and medical history of all patients in the home, and such further records as are deemed necessary for the efficient administration of the home.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)