Wisconsin veterans homes face staffing shortages due to COVID-19 and vaccine mandates

If you’re looking for a way to honor a service member this Veterans Day, advocates say you might consider getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

Veterans homes in Wisconsin are facing critical staffing shortages due to COVID-19 cases and vaccine mandates.

Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Mary Kolar appeared on WPR’s “The Morning Show” on Thursday and spoke about what this means for veterans living in long-term care facilities.

“We have a vulnerable population — a population who live in a home and they depend on the staff that come in,” said Kolar. “I ask, I’m pleading, encouraging, whatever I can do to encourage people, if you haven’t been vaccinated to get vaccinated.”

Wisconsin’s DVA manages three veterans homes, serving nearly 1,000 veterans and their spouses. The facilities are all certified Medicare and Medicaid providers, which means they must meet certain requirements to receive federal funding. As of last week, those requirements include ensuring that all staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of the year.

The three facilities have already had to reduce capacity due to staffing shortages and COVID-19 safety protocols. Kolar said she anticipates losing staff when the vaccine mandate takes effect, which means serving even fewer veterans.

The Wisconsin Veterans Home at Chippewa Falls has temporarily suspended visits due to COVID-19 cases among staff. But Kolar said nearly 100 percent of staff are vaccinated.

At the King veterans home, Kolar said, more than 65 percent of staff are already vaccinated.

It is the Union Grove facility Kolar worries about the most. The facility has a very low rate of vaccination and 18 new COVID-19 cases, mostly among residents. They have had to close an entire hall due to staffing shortages and are not taking new admissions.

As the state’s veteran population ages, it is also declining, so Kolar said demand is going down. Additionally, on the federal level, the VA is providing more funds for family members to care for veterans at home, also known as aging in place, which has helped ease some of the burden on state veterans homes.

Still, the state’s 364,000 veterans will continue to need services. And nearly all Wisconsin’s health care facilities are urging vaccination while navigating critical staffing shortages.

“This nursing, health care shortage that existed before the pandemic — the pandemic has made that much worse,” said Kolar. “So the solution to that is for everyone, but particularly staff who work at skilled nursing facilities like our veterans homes, to get the vaccination.”

And Kolar’s plea extends beyond the veterans and staff within DVA facilities.

With booster shots and vaccines available for kids as young as 5 years old, the COVID-19 vaccine can be a family affair.

“Please, to be with your families by Christmastime, be vaccinated. Get the vaccination now, please,” said Kolar.