Families choosing a nursing home in Wisconsin used to be able to learn who owns it with a quick look at the state’s public directory. This year, that information vanished. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) must put owner names and ownership types back in its nursing home directory.

For years, the DHS directory showed each licensed facility’s owner and whether it was run by a for-profit company, a nonprofit or a local government. The newest version leaves all of that out. In an email reported by Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR), a DHS official said the change came after the agency switched to a new data system that doesn’t include ownership details. DHS did not respond to WPR’s repeated requests for comment.

That missing detail matters. Residents in Sauk County used the old directory to find out which private company was buying their county nursing home, at a time when local officials wouldn’t name the buyer. They also used it to check quality ratings at other Wisconsin homes run by the same company. Few states have as many county-run nursing homes as Wisconsin, and a number of counties have recently considered selling theirs.

DHS now points families to a federal Medicare website instead. Advocates say that isn’t good enough. “This is Wisconsin data that should be in (the state) database for people to look at,” Judy Brey, an organizer with Small Town and Rural Seniors (STARS), told WPR.

Knowing who runs a nursing home helps families compare care, ask the right questions and spot warning signs. It’s basic public information, and it should be easy to find.

Sign the petition to tell DHS to restore ownership information to its nursing home directory, before more county homes change hands without the public knowing who’s buying.