In Wisconsin, the license families see for assisted living is "Community-Based Residential Facility (CBRF)", issued by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Quality Assurance, Bureau of Assisted Living. Before admission, the CBRF must assess the person's needs, abilities and physical and mental condition, using current medical and social history from the person's health care providers, and keep the written results in the resident's record. A CBRF must give the resident or legal representative 30 days' written notice before an involuntary discharge.
Key facts
- The median monthly cost of assisted living in Wisconsin was $6,540 in CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey, or $78,480 a year, $340 above the national median of $6,200 a month. (CareScout, 2026)
- Wisconsin's Family Care Medicaid program (statewide) and Family Care Partnership (some counties) can pay for care services in a licensed CBRF, but IRIS cannot because CBRFs are not an allowable IRIS setting. (Wisconsin Department of Health Services, 2026)
- Within 90 days before or 7 days after admission, a physician, physician assistant, clinical nurse practitioner or registered nurse must screen each new resident for clinically apparent communicable disease, including tuberculosis, using CDC standards. (Wis. Admin. Code DHS 83.28, 2011)
- Injectables must be given by a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse, though the rule says this may be delegated to unlicensed employees under the Board of Nursing's delegation rule, and it does not name insulin. (Wis. Admin. Code DHS 83.37, 2011)
- Wisconsin's CBRF rules list irreversible dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, as one client group a CBRF may serve, and staff must get training specific to that client group within 90 days of hire. (Wis. Admin. Code DHS 83.21, 2009)
Wisconsin's main assisted living license is the community-based residential facility (CBRF), a place where five or more unrelated people live and get care above room and board plus up to three hours of nursing care a week, licensed under Wis. Admin. Code ch. DHS 83. The state also regulates residential care apartment complexes (RCACs, certified or registered under ch. DHS 89, with up to 28 hours a week of services) and adult family homes (three- and four-bed homes licensed under ch. DHS 88, one- and two-bed homes certified); the facts below cover CBRFs.
Rules change and communities can set stricter policies. Before you sign, confirm the details with the community and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Quality Assurance, Bureau of Assisted Living. This page is general information, not legal advice.
The rules at a glance
| Medical assessment before move-in | Before admission, the CBRF must assess the person's needs, abilities and physical and mental condition, using current medical and social history from the person's health care providers, and keep the written results in the resident's record. For emergency admissions, the assessment is due within 5 days after admission. [3] More on this |
|---|---|
| TB test | Within 90 days before or 7 days after admission, a physician, physician assistant, clinical nurse practitioner or registered nurse must screen each new resident for clinically apparent communicable disease, including tuberculosis, using CDC standards. The rule does not name a specific TB test. [4] More on this |
| Notice before a move-out | A CBRF must give the resident or legal representative 30 days' written notice before an involuntary discharge. Reasons include nonpayment after a reasonable chance to pay, care beyond its license class or program, medical care it cannot provide, or imminent serious risk of harm; a request for state review within 10 days stops the discharge until the review ends. [5] More on this |
| Who may give medications | Injectables must be given by a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse, though the rule says this may be delegated to unlicensed employees under the Board of Nursing's delegation rule, and it does not name insulin. Employees who give or help with medications must first finish department-approved medication training. [6][7] More on this |
| Memory care and dementia | Wisconsin's CBRF rules list irreversible dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, as one client group a CBRF may serve, and staff must get training specific to that client group within 90 days of hire. Delayed-egress door locks are allowed only with state approval, which requires showing they are needed for residents at risk of elopement. [8][9][10] |
| Long-term care ombudsman | Wisconsin's Board on Aging and Long Term Care Ombudsman Program helps people age 60 and older who live in CBRFs, residential care apartment complexes, adult family homes and nursing homes, and can be reached at 1-800-815-0015. [11] Official page More on this |
| Medicaid help | Wisconsin's Family Care Medicaid program (statewide) and Family Care Partnership (some counties) can pay for care services in a licensed CBRF, but IRIS cannot because CBRFs are not an allowable IRIS setting. Members pay room and board out of pocket, and each managed care plan decides which facilities it contracts with. [12][16][13][17] Official page More on this |
What assisted living costs in Wisconsin
The median monthly cost of assisted living in Wisconsin was $6,540 in CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey, or $78,480 a year, $340 above the national median of $6,200 a month. [18]
A median is the middle of the rates communities reported, so many charge more or less. Rates differ between regions and by the care a resident needs, so ask each community for its full fee list in writing. More: assisted living costs in every state, a monthly budget and the costs that aren't in the base rate.
How to check a community in Wisconsin
The Department of Health Services' Provider Search lets families look up licensed CBRFs and see survey (inspection) results from the past three years. Complaints can go to the Division of Quality Assurance at 800-642-6552 or to a Bureau of Assisted Living regional office. Search Wisconsin's records. [1][2]
The licensing agency: Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Quality Assurance, Bureau of Assisted Living. [1] Our guide on how to read an inspection report explains what to look for.
Put Wisconsin's paperwork on a date
Parent Move Plan counts every task back from the move-in day, including the medical assessment and TB screening the community will ask for, so nothing lands in the last week.
Get your first 3 days freeFrequently asked questions
How much does assisted living cost in Wisconsin?
The median monthly cost of assisted living in Wisconsin was $6,540 in CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey, or $78,480 a year, $340 above the national median of $6,200 a month. A median is the middle of the rates communities reported, so many charge more or less, and rates differ between regions and by the care a resident needs.
What medical assessment does Wisconsin require before moving into assisted living?
Before admission, the CBRF must assess the person's needs, abilities and physical and mental condition, using current medical and social history from the person's health care providers, and keep the written results in the resident's record. For emergency admissions, the assessment is due within 5 days after admission.
Does Wisconsin require a TB test for assisted living?
Within 90 days before or 7 days after admission, a physician, physician assistant, clinical nurse practitioner or registered nurse must screen each new resident for clinically apparent communicable disease, including tuberculosis, using CDC standards. The rule does not name a specific TB test.
How much notice must an assisted living community in Wisconsin give before a move-out?
A CBRF must give the resident or legal representative 30 days' written notice before an involuntary discharge. Reasons include nonpayment after a reasonable chance to pay, care beyond its license class or program, medical care it cannot provide, or imminent serious risk of harm; a request for state review within 10 days stops the discharge until the review ends.
Who can give medications in assisted living in Wisconsin?
Injectables must be given by a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse, though the rule says this may be delegated to unlicensed employees under the Board of Nursing's delegation rule, and it does not name insulin. Employees who give or help with medications must first finish department-approved medication training.
Who can help with a complaint about assisted living in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin's Board on Aging and Long Term Care Ombudsman Program helps people age 60 and older who live in CBRFs, residential care apartment complexes, adult family homes and nursing homes, and can be reached at 1-800-815-0015.
Does Medicaid pay for assisted living in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin's Family Care Medicaid program (statewide) and Family Care Partnership (some counties) can pay for care services in a licensed CBRF, but IRIS cannot because CBRFs are not an allowable IRIS setting. Members pay room and board out of pocket, and each managed care plan decides which facilities it contracts with.
Sources
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Consumer Guide, Finding and Choosing a Community-Based Residential Facility (2026) (checked October 22, 2026)
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Consumer Guide, Problems with Nursing Homes, Residential Care Facilities and Other Providers (complaints) (2026) (checked October 22, 2026)
- Wis. Admin. Code DHS 83.35, Assessment, individual service plan and evaluations (via Cornell LII), 2011 (checked October 22, 2026)
- Wis. Admin. Code DHS 83.28, Admission procedures (via Cornell LII), 2011 (checked October 22, 2026)
- Wis. Admin. Code DHS 83.31, Discharge or transfer (via Cornell LII), 2009 (checked October 22, 2026)
- Wis. Admin. Code DHS 83.37, Medications (via Cornell LII), 2011 (checked October 22, 2026)
- Wis. Admin. Code DHS 83.20, Department-approved training (via Cornell LII), 2009 (checked October 22, 2026)
- Wis. Admin. Code DHS 83.21, All employee training (via Cornell LII), 2009 (checked October 22, 2026)
- Wis. Admin. Code DHS 83.02, Definitions (via Cornell LII), 2025 (checked October 22, 2026)
- Wis. Admin. Code DHS 83.59, Exits and passageways (via Cornell LII), 2011 (checked October 22, 2026)
- Wisconsin Board on Aging and Long Term Care: Ombudsman Program (page undated, read 2026) (checked October 22, 2026)
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Assisted Living, Understanding Licensure and Certification and its Intersection with Medicaid (2026) (checked October 22, 2026)
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Family Care (2026) (checked October 22, 2026)
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Consumer Guide, Finding and Choosing a Residential Care Apartment Complex (2026) (checked October 22, 2026)
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Consumer Guide, Finding and Choosing an Adult Family Home (2026) (checked October 22, 2026)
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services: 2026 Family Care and Family Care Partnership Contract, Art. III.E (room and board) and Addendum VI.A.21 (residential services) (2026) (checked October 22, 2026)
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Family Care Partnership (2026) (checked October 22, 2026)
- CareScout: Cost of Care Survey 2025, Ranked Median Costs by State (2026) (checked October 22, 2026)