- AND NOW WE GO TO HEALTH CARE.
AS WISCONSIN'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE STAYS AT RECORD LOWS,
NURSING HOME FACILITIES ARE STRUGGLING TO FIND PEOPLE TO
CARE FOR ELDERLY RESIDENTS.
A REPORT RELEASED BY THE WISCONSIN ASSISTED LIVING
ASSOCIATION AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SAYS ONE IN FIVE
CAREGIVER POSITIONS ARE NOT BEING FILLED.
BUT WHY?
MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST MARISA WOJCIK BRINGS US THESE FAST
FACTS ABOUT THE STATUS OF ELDERLY NURSING CARE IN
WISCONSIN.
- A $9 BILLION INDUSTRY IN WISCONSIN IS EXPERIENCING A
WORKFORCE CRISIS.
SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES ARE LOSING CAREGIVERS AT A RAPID
RATE.
ACCORDING TO A RECENT REPORT, THERE ARE MORE THAN 16,
000 VACANT POSITIONS IN WISCONSIN'S RESIDENTIAL AND
LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
AND THOSE WHO ARE CAREGIVERS ARE GETTING BURNT OUT,
AS PROVIDERS RESORT TO OVERTIME, DOUBLE SHIFTS AND OTHER MEASURES
IN ORDER TO FILL THE NEED.
TWO-THIRDS OF WISCONSIN'S LONG-TERM CARE RESIDENTS ARE ON
MEDICAID AND BECAUSE OF THIS, PROVIDERS CAN'T OFFER
COMPETITIVE WAGES FOR NURSING AIDES.
WISCONSIN HAS THE LOWEST MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT RATE IN
THE COUNTRY.
AND THIS OFTEN TRANSLATES TO THE AVERAGE CARE FACILITY IN THE
STATE LOSING ROUGHLY A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, 16 NURSING FACILITIES IN WISCONSIN
HAVE BEEN SHUTTERED.
AND MORE HAVE ANNOUNCED PLANS TO CLOSE.
THE WISCONSIN HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION SAYS THERE HAVE BEEN
SOME EFFORTS BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO INCREASE MEDICAID
REIMBURSEMENT.
BUT THEY NEED TO GO FURTHER.
A COALITION OF ORGANIZATIONS IN THE STATE ARE LOOKING TO FILL
THIS NEED WITH A $2.3 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT AWARDED TO THE
WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FOR
PROGRAMMING TO GIVE CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANTS TRAINING AT
NO COST.
FOR THESE AND OTHER FAST FACTS, VISIT WPT.ORG.