The Wauneta Care and Therapy Center’s auditor told its board last week that the facility is about a year and a half away from any serious financial trouble, but it needs more residents.
    “The thing that solves a lot of woes is (resident) census,” Marcy Luth of Almquist Maltzahn Galloway and Luth accounting firm said. “There needs to be efficiencies. Get the efficiencies from a full facility.”
    Administrator Lisa Kisinger said last month the home had 28 residents, two less than she had budgeted for the month.
    Just three more residents could mean $180,000 in revenue, which would keep the home from dipping into cash reserves to stay in the black, Luth said.
    Board member Page Johnston said with two or three more residents in the village-owned facility, the village would not have to consider a property tax hike or other measures to keep it open.
    “My thinking right now is we do everything we can to get three more residents,” board Chairman Tony Cribelli said.
    “You have about a year and a half,” Luth said.
    “I don’t know if I feel better or not,” Cribelli replied with a chuckle.

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