CILAs: An Important Part of Misericordia’s Continuum of Care

by Thomas Blake

For families whose residents live on the Misericordia campus, CILAs—Community Integrated Living Arrangements—may be a bit of a mystery.  What is a CILA?  How are they different from campus homes?  Who are the residents of CILAs?   Let’s explore these  questions.

CILAs are licensed by the Department of Human Services, unlike most campus homes that are Department of Public Health-licensed.  A CILA is, basically, a group home in a neighborhood that are occupied by individuals with various special needs 

Joe Ferrara, Administrator of CILAs and The Village, said that you shouldn’t be able to spot a CILA in a neighborhood.  It looks like other houses and it’s like other homes: it’s a place where people live their best lives together and take care of each other.

Misericordia’s first CILA was opened in 1996.  Currently, there are 13 CILAs, with an additional one  to open this summer in Evanston.  All CILA homes are within about five miles of campus—and campus is very important to the lives of CILA residents.  As Joe said, “It’s their hub.”  

Monday through Friday, CILA residents begin and end their days on campus.  While some residents work on or off-campus, all of them participate in Community Day Services.  CILA residents also join in on the activities and services offered on campus, such as the fitness facilities, parades, parties, etc.

CILA residents, of course, all have individual needs and their care is personalized.  A typical CILA home has 5-8 residents.  All of the homes are single-sex.  A CILA is an excellent care option for people who are able to participate in the community.  There are currently 77 residents in CILAs. But like everything else at Misericordia, one size does not fit all.  CILAs have varied staffing patterns, depending on the needs of the residents.  

CILAs faced many of the same challenges as did the rest of Misericordia during COVID.  An additional challenge the CILAs had (and still have, to a lesser degree) is that, because they are spread out in the neighborhoods, they were quite isolated.  Both staff and residents felt this isolation.  It was hard to maintain the sense of community the CILAs typically feel.  Dinners together, picnics, inviting a friend over from a different CILA, Cubs games were all impossible, as were their usual on-campus activities. Just like others, the CILA residents are so happy to reclaim the richness of their lives on-campus and off.

Misericordia families are grateful to the amazing Misericordia staff, never more so than during the pandemic.  Joe Ferrara is one such amazing person.  Joe began his career at Misericordia in 1999 as a DSP in The Villages and gradually took on more responsibilities; he is now the Administrator of all CILAs and The Village.  Joe said that being at Misericordia has been the greatest gift of his life.  His voice was filled with joy when talking about the residents.  How lucky we are to have people like Joe in our residents’ lives.