State of Wisconsin Nursing Home Regulations

Nursing homes provide 24-hour care for residents, usually the elderly, who have physical or mental conditions that prevent them from living independently. The choice to admit a family member into a nursing home can be a difficult one. Residents and their caretakers must deal with not only the financial obligations of the decision but also the possible emotional effects. It is essential that both residents and their families choose a nursing home that meets their state's licensure regulations. In Wisconsin, the Department of Health Services licenses and regulates nursing home facilities.

Resident Admissions & Discharge

• Wisconsin nursing homes are permitted to only admit residents that have documentation from a doctor stating their need to live in such a facility. The resident must be screened for contagious diseases, including tuberculosis, in order to be admitted into the nursing home. In addition, the doctor's orders should detail the resident's medical diagnoses and current treatments. The doctor or medical director in charge of health services at the nursing home is required to examine new residents within two days of their admission, according to the state's Department of Health Services regulations. Residents can be discharged from the facility if they no longer need nursing home care or if their medical conditions require another form of care. They can also be discharged for failure to pay for services; however, nursing homes must give residents a reasonable amount of time to pay any overdue charges, according to the Department of Health Services (DHS). The facility's administration must provide residents with at least a 30-day notice before a discharge or transfer can take place.

Staff Requirements

• Wisconsin nursing homes must have a full-time administrator unless the facility has 50 or fewer residents. In these smaller nursing homes, Wisconsin regulations require that an administrator must be employed five days a week at a minimum of four hours each day. The Department of Health Services must be notified within two days if an administrator no longer works at the facility. In addition to the administrator, all nursing homes are required to have a registered nurse as the head of nursing services, a director of food services and a dietitian.

  Nursing home staff that have any access to residents or provide direct care must complete background checks upon hire and every four years during their employment at the facility as required by the Department of Public Health's Office of Caregiver Quality. Any staff, interns or volunteers under the age of 18 are not mandated to submit to this background check. However, any adult volunteers that work in a staff role must complete the criminal check. These checks should identify any convictions, disciplinary actions or license and certification restrictions, according to the Wisconsin Caregiver Program Manual.

  Nursing home employees must attend an orientation that details the facility's policies, safety procedures, residents' rights and their responsibilities prior to performing any duties. Direct-care staff should regularly complete continuing education or in-service training in order to stay current on nursing home regulations and medical care.

Records and Documentation

• The Wisconsin Department of Health Services requires that nursing home facilities maintain extensive records and documentation. Records that provides documentation of their job descriptions, qualifications, background checks, medical records, continuing education and work schedules must be kept on all employees. Nursing homes must keep all residents' records for five years after their discharge, transfer or death, according to the DHS. These records should contain medical information, care plans, treatments and incident or accident reports. In addition to the personnel and resident files, nursing homes must maintain records on their services, training programs, court orders and emergency procedures. Staff must also document weekly counts of all residents, according to the DHS.

Quality Assessment

• Nursing home facilities should have a quality assessment committee with the director of nursing, the facility's medical director or doctor and at least three other staff members serving. The Wisconsin nursing home regulations state that these committees should meet at least every three months to evaluate the effectiveness of current services and implement any necessary changes.