A Waupaca County nursing home is shutting its doors after being in business for more than 100 years.
The Waupaca County Board of Supervisors voted Monday 23-1 to close Lakeview Manor near Weyauwega, citing the cost of operation and the difficulty in keeping qualified employees. The facility is partly supported through Waupaca County property taxes, and the 2017 budget was calling for $938,000 through the tax levy.
The county board authorized an incentive package last year in an attempt to draw more employees and keep them on longer, but corporation counsel Diane Mullimans says that did not accomplish the goal.
“We ran that incentive package for a six-month period, ending around Halloween of 2016,” said Mullimans. “The price tag for that was $250,000.”
After that period, 14 employees left. Mullimans says the county has retained a health care attorney to assist in making sure residents’ rights are protected. A residents relocation plan will soon be submitted to the state.