DECATUR - Sunzie Sene of Decatur, a registered nurse who formerly lived in Michigan, is struggling to get a license to practice in Illinois while taking care of her 69-year-old mother on an income of less than $600 a month.

"Everything I've applied for has turned up nil," she said.

David and Beverly McGlade of Mount Zion, meanwhile, are watching round-the-clock care wipe out her 93-year-old mother's savings.

"Is there any help for her after her money runs out?" Beverly McGlade asked.

Both families spoke out Thursday during a visit by Charles D. Johnson, director of the Illinois Department on Aging, to the Decatur-Macon County Senior Center, and both left with appointments at Starting Point, the Macon County Health Department's aging and disability resource center.

It was a fitting outcome for the first of a series of sessions around the state to launch the department's "How to Care for Aging Parents" initiative.

Supported by a $60 million increase to the department's budget for the fiscal year starting Saturday, the initiative involves a new 18-page resource guide for caregivers and comprehensive case management for families of older adults, as well as increases to the department's Community Care Program, the adult day service transportation rate and home-delivered meals program.

"Our goal is to help people who want remain in their homes for as long as they possibly can," Johnson said. "It would not be good if the legislature gave us this opportunity and people don't participate and receive the services."

He made copies of the guide, containing checklists on financial resources, care choices, advance directives and how to find the best home care provider, available to the 40 people who attended Thursday's session and promised periodic updates.

Johnson also said the department's budget contains an additional $8 million for comprehensive case management and also funds for emergency home responses and an increase in the reimbursement for homemakers as part of the Community Care Program. An estimated 400 additional people will be helped in the coming year by Community Care, which also provides adult day services.

"For the first time, we will have some flexibility, and we will be encouraging our case managers to figure out what the needs of the clients are, as opposed to if they fall into this category or that category," he said.

Johnson said the adult day service transportation reimbursement rate will go to $8.30 per ride from $4.15, the first rate increase since 2000, and the budget for home-delivered meals will increase from about $7 million to $8 million.

In addition, the department's Senior HelpLine will get $1.5 million, up from $468,000, which includes money to add 15 employees, and the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program will receive $397,400, up from $197,400.

Sue Myers of Decatur said the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren support group in Decatur is having trouble attracting people to its meetings at 6:30 p.m. on the last Thursday of the month at Webster-Cantrell Hall, even though child care is provided.

Johnson encouraged her to not let small numbers deter her. "Sometimes, one or two persons can make a difference," he said. "That's always my message when we're talking about the people who are not participating."

Also on hand for Thursday's session were Barb Schwartz, state coordinator for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren; Mike O'Donnell, executive director of East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging; Gail Poundstone, executive director of the senior center; state Rep. Bob Flider, D-Mount Zion; and the staff of the Macon County Health Department's Starting Point - director Amy Reeser, assistant director Becky Gillen and caregiver adviser Sally Williams.

Else Farnham of Mount Zion, caregiver to her 81-year-old husband, George, said she found the meeting informative.

"There are so many agencies out there ready to help if people just knew about them," Farnham said.

Theresa Churchill can be reached at tchurchill@herald-review.com or 421-7978.