Nursing Homes
A nursing home is defined in Wis. Stat. § ch. 50.01(3) as a place where five or more people (who are not related to the operator) live because they need 24-hour nursing care. This can include limited nursing care, intermediate level nursing care, and skilled nursing services.
Finding and Choosing a Nursing Home
Contact us
For questions regarding nursing homes, contact the Division of Quality Assurance (DQA):
- Email dhswebmaildqa@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
- Call 608-266-8481.
Find DQA contacts with the Bureau of Nursing Home Resident Care Regional Offices.
For information on dehydration, dietary services, dysphagia, feeding assessments, food safety/infection control, food service operation, malnutrition, menu planning, tube feeding, and other nutrition-related questions, email: vickie.bergquist@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
- If you need information, these sources can help. If you're not sure who to contact or don't see the topic you need, contact DQA.
- Active treatment, intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID) - jenny.kraftcheck@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Activity programming - jenny.kraftcheck@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- ADL functional assessment - jenny.kraftcheck@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Advanced directives - jenny.kraftcheck@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Assessments, general - henry.petrick@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Behavioral problems - steven.schuh@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Care planning - henry.petrick@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- CMS functions - vicky.reimer@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Dementia - vickie.bergquist@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Developmental disability levels of care - jenny.kraftcheck@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Environmental issues - david.soens@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Falls assessment - henry.petrick@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Federal enforcement - sonja.murray@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Fire reporting (within 72 hours) - david.soens@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Forfeitures - elizabeth.laubenstein@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Hospice regulations - jessica.tomczak@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Incontinence, urinary/bowel - henry.petrick@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Infection control - victoria.griffin@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Infectious waste - victoria.griffin@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Life safety code - david.soens@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Medical records - jenny.kraftcheck@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Medical social services - jenny.kraftcheck@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Medication administration - douglas.englebert@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Minimum data set, automation/technical - heathera.newton@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Minimum data set, clinical coding - heathera.newton@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Nurse aide training and testing - therese.vanmale@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Pain management - victoria.griffin@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Palliative care - jessica.tomczak@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Patient rights, hospice - jessica.tomczak@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Pharmacy - douglas.englebert@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Plan review - Plan Review Construction/Remodeling of Health Care Facilities
- Plans of correction - Regional Offices
- Policy and procedure development - ann.angell@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Pressure injury, pressure sore assessments - victoria.griffin@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Program plan, intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID) - jenny.kraftcheck@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Psychosocial well-being assessment - jenny.kraftcheck@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Record requests - dhswebmaildqa@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Regulations - Regional Offices or sonja.murray@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Resident assessment instrument, education/coding - heathera.newton@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Resident/client abuse - jenny.kraftcheck@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Resident rights - jenny.kraftcheck@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Restraints, physical - henry.petrick@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Social services - jenny.kraftcheck@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Standard precautions - victoria.griffin@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- State licensure, Medicaid/Medicare certification - elizabeth.laubenstein@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Surety bonds - elizabeth.laubenstein@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Survey inspection process - Regional Offices
- Traumatic brain injury (new programs only) - dhswebmaildms@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Waivers, health - elizabeth.laubenstein@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Waiver, life safety code - fokruddin.khondaker@dhs.wisconsin.gov
Fire reporting
All fires in a licensed facility in Wisconsin must be reported to the Department of Health Services within 72 hours. To report a fire, complete and submit the Health Care Facility Fire Report, F-62500.
For questions regarding fire reporting, contact DQA Fire Authority:
- Email dhsdqaplanreview@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
- Call 608-266-8016.
Additional information is provided in DQA numbered memo 23-002 (PDF).