Whitewater Times

In the fourth quarter of 2023, Fort Atkinson Care Center stood out as the second largest nursing home in Jefferson County, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Data shows that the nursing center had a total of 87 beds available, one more than the average in Jefferson County as of the fourth quarter of 2023. They aided an average of 55 residents during that period.

Fort Atkinson Care Center had an overall rating of 1 from the CMS, which lags behind the average of 3.1 recorded for nursing homes in Wisconsin.

During the quarter, Alden Estates of Countryside, Inc. stood out as the largest nursing home in Jefferson County, with 120 beds available. Lake Mills Health Services came in third place, with 50 beds available.

As of the fourth quarter of 2023, Fort Atkinson Care Center has already spent a total of $206,702 in five fines and suffered seven penalties.

In total, there were three for-profit nursing homes in Jefferson County, Wisconsin.

According to US Census data, in 2020, nearly 1 in 6 Americans were aged 65 years or older. Since 1920, the older population skyrocketed from 4.9 million to 55.8 million, reflecting a growth rate of roughly 1,000%, five times higher than the average growth for the overall U.S. population.

A 2021 study suggests that nearly half of this age group, roughly 28 million individuals, may require long-term services and support. Additionally, the study projects that over a third of them may eventually need nursing home care.

“Living a long life is something that many of us want and could get,” said Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, an insurance education group. “But when we live a long life, the chances of us needing long-term care increase exponentially. But when you need that type of care, there are limited options.”

Rank	Nursing Home	Overall Rating
1	Alden Estates of Countryside, Inc.	3
2	Fort Atkinson Care Center	1
3	Lake Mills Health Services	1