Wisconsin

Residential assisted living licensing rules and official state resources

Licensure term: Assisted Living Facilities, Community-based Residential Facilities (CBRFs)
Resident capacity: 8 max for Small CBRF, 9-20 for Medium CBRF
Staff ratios: No minimum.
Cost of licensing: $389.00 + $50.25 per resident
Bedroom square footage: The minimum common dining and living space shall be 60 square feet per ambulatory or semi-ambulatory resident or other occupant, and 90 square feet per non-ambulatory resident or other occupant.
Memory care: (4) Delayed egress. Delayed egress door locks are permitted with department approval only in facilities with a supervised automatic fire sprinkler system and a supervised interconnected automatic fire detection system and shall comply with all of the following:

Full requirements

Regulatory Agency: Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Contact Phone Number: Cheryl Bott at 608-266-2495 or Sandy Finseth at 608-266-5754
Licensure Term(s): Assisted Living Facilities, Community-based Residential Facilities (CBRFs)
Census Requirements: 8 max for Small CBRF, 9-20 for Medium CBRF
Qualifications for Managers: The administrator and resident care staff must receive 15 hours annually of continuing education relevant to their job responsibilities. Additionally, all staff must have appropriate training about the physical, functional, and psychological characteristics of the populations they serve, including persons with dementia.
Qualifications for Caregivers: Before an employee performs any job duties, they must have orientation training regarding facility policies and procedures and job responsibilities. Minimum initial training consists of Department-approved training in medication management, standard precautions, fire safety, and first-aid. In addition, the facility must provide, obtain, or otherwise ensure adequate training for all employees in a wide range of topics, including resident rights, reporting abuse, and challenging behaviors. Resident care staff involved in certain tasks must have training in needs assessment of prospective residents, development of service plans, and provision of personal care.
Staff Ratios: No minimum.
Cost of Licensing: $389.00 + $50.25 per resident
Square Footage Requirements: The minimum common dining and living space shall be 60 square feet per ambulatory or semi-ambulatory resident or other occupant, and 90 square feet per non-ambulatory resident or other occupant. Bedrooms shall have a minimum of 100 square feet per resident and 80 square feet per resident in multiple occupancy bedrooms. Minimum square footage shall be calculated exclusive of toilet rooms and closets.
Bathrooms Required: The CBRF shall provide at least one toilet, one sink and one bath or shower for every ten (10) residents and other occupants or fraction thereof.