Wisconsin Making Changes to Recruit and Retain Workers to Care for Elderly and Disabled Residents

Friday, August 9th, 2024 -- 10:01 AM

(Hope Kirwan, Wisconsin Public Radio) Wisconsin is making changes to recruit and retain workers to care for the state’s older adults and people with disabilities.

But, according to Hope Kirwan with Wisconsin Public Radio, some advocates say the new policies are still just the first steps to fixing the industry’s workforce problems.

Last week, Gov. Tony Evers announced the state would establish minimum rates for home and community-based care that must be paid by managed care organizations serving Medicaid patients. The governor allocated $258 million in federal pandemic relief funding to establish the new fee schedule.

In a press release, Evers said the change would effectively raise wages for direct care workers. The governor had called for minimum rates for direct care workers in his last state budget proposal, but the GOP-led state Legislature did not include it in their version of the budget.

Janet Zander, advocacy and public policy coordinator for the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources, said organizations like hers have been hoping to see the rate increase resurface. She said the wages currently offered to caregivers haven’t kept pace with the retail or food service industries.

“No matter where you live in this state and no matter how you’re paying, but particularly if you’re relying on Medicaid as your source of payment, there are not enough workers to meet the need,” Zander said. “So what that means for folks is they need 20 hours of care and they get 10 (hours).”

Zander said the remaining needs fall on family members or other unpaid caregivers, sometimes causing people to leave the workforce to provide care for their loved ones.

She said it can also result in people with Medicaid needing to move to more expensive resident care if they can’t find someone to care for them at home.

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