Wisconsin Lawmakers Propose Major Senior Funding Increases

Senior staring at the window
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For more than a decade, Ryan Novaczyk has served as president and chief financial officer with New Perspective Senior Living in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Engaged in the senior living industry outside of his everyday work, Ryan Novaczyk maintains membership in the Wisconsin Assisted Living Association (WALA).

In June 2019, WALA issued a statement of support for efforts by Wisconsin lawmakers to provide critical financial assistance to programs that help vulnerable seniors get the care they need. In working up its most recent biennial budget proposal, the Joint Committee on Finance recommended more than two times the funding for senior care programs than had been originally requested by advocates. If passed, it would dramatically increase the available funding for the state’s Direct Care Workforce Funding Initiative. 

This program helps support existing state-funded caregiving agencies by allowing them to offer competitive salaries for long-term caregivers. It is part of the larger Family Care program (which will also see a boost in state funding) that funds facilities and care for those senior citizens in Wisconsin who are most in need. In his comments, WALA CEO Michael Pochowski praised the committee for having the vision and foresight to provide much-needed support to state-funded senior caregivers.

WALA Diamond Accreditation Program

One of the state’s first professional organizations devoted to assisted living and senior care, WALA has been advocating for the quality of life for senior citizens in Wisconsin and at the national level since 1994. The organization provides a range of services for its members, including educational seminars and access to low-cost commercial liability insurance. WALA also maintains a voluntary quality management program called the Diamond Accreditation Program.

WALA created the Diamond Accreditation Program to ensure that Wisconsin’s seniors have access to safe, professional, and reliable assisted living options. In exchange for developing quality improvement goals based on the needs of their community, accredited program members gain access to a host of tools and services that will help them improve care for community residents while receiving discounts on insurance and other products.

The Diamond Accreditation Program is open to all WALA members who are willing to commit to the terms of the program. Additionally, applicants must be registered with the state of Wisconsin as either an Adult Family Home (AFH), Residential Care Apartment Complex (RCAC), or Community-Based Residential Facility (CBRF).

About the Author:       

Ryan Novaczyk earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, before going on to earn an advanced certificate in seniors housing from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. In addition to guiding Minnesota-based senior housing company New Perspective Senior Living, Ryan Novaczyk holds membership in professional groups such as Argentum and the Wisconsin Assisted Living Association (WALA).