While assisted living facilities like Anna’s Healthcare in Sturgeon Bay and New Franken rely on bonuses and tuition assistance to help retain its staff, the Wisconsin Legislature is looking at other ways to address the state’s shortage of Certified Nursing Assistants. Bills already introduced in the Legislature include lowering the number of required training hours for CNAs, a $1,500 tax credit to cover tuition for students, and grants for technical colleges to build up their programs. Anna’s Healthcare owner Tama Begley says addressing the cost of education is especially important.

According to a joint report by several state agencies related to assisted living, there are 16,500 vacant caregiver positions available in Wisconsin.