WALA Commends Gov. Evers on Creation of Caregiving Task Force

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) has been commended by the Wisconsin Assisted Living Association (WALA) for signing an executive order establishing the Governor's Task Force on Caregiving, according to the Wheeler Report . The group will be responsible for identifying strategies to attract and retain a strong direct care workforce, supporting families giving care to loved ones, evaluating compensation and fringe benefits for paid caregivers, and devising a plan to deploy recruitment and retention programs to grow the provider base. "The workforce crisis continues to be a significant concern for our members," noted WALA Chief Executive Michael Pochowski. "We greatly appreciate Governor Evers taking this important step of creating this task force." Wisconsin continues to suffer a caregiver shortage in long-term care programs, with a 2018 report estimating that one in five direct caregiver positions in Wisconsin's nursing and assisted living communities are vacant. Meanwhile, the demand for caregivers continues to expand as the state's senior population increases. More than 90,400 Wisconsin residents live in long-term care and residential care communities, a 23 percent gain over the past 15 years.