Page 12 of Best Assisted Living in Iowa

Overview of Independence Village of Ankeny

Operating for 14 years, Independence Village of Ankeny is a small assisted living and memory care community in the Prairie Trail neighborhood of Ankeny, Iowa. About 2.3 miles from the city center, and with 20 beds arranged in a two-story building, the home offers an intimate residential setting where each occupant can receive personalized attention. The facility provides flexible housing options in studios and one and two-bedroom units, letting families select the layout that best suits their loved one’s preferences and lifestyle needs. It maintains a steady 70 percent occupancy rate, with 14 residents currently living on-site. This smaller scale fosters closer staff-resident relationships and a calmer environment versus larger communities, which captivates families wanting a more homely ambiance.

The neighborhood’s Walk Score is 25, so the location is somewhat walkable, with a few nearby services reachable on foot, though most errands need transportation. This setting suits residents and families who prefer a more serene and residential area. Independence Village’s approach encourages occupants to maintain independence wherever possible, helping them feel empowered and engaged with their surroundings. The pet-friendly community welcomes cats and dogs into spacious units, a major benefit for residents who find companionship and comfort in animals. Dining is chef-prepared with resident choice and attention to dietary restrictions, ensuring nutrition and enjoyment at each meal. Daily life includes activities tailored to stimulate the mind, body, and spirit, like movie nights and wellness events spanning manicures and mimosas. The facility provides 24-hour care and response services, 24/7 assistance with medication and mobility for occupants managing memory loss, and executive director Sydney Petersen’s personalized support.

A Better Business Bureau rating of A+ mirrors Independence Village of Ankeny’s business practices and complaint history.

Overview of Bickford of West Des Moines

Bickford of West Des Moines offers assisted living and memory care in West Des Moines, Iowa. Assisted living includes help with daily tasks such as dressing, bathing, and medication while the resident has a private room. Memory care provides a secured setting with supervision for someone at risk of wandering.

Both care levels are available on one campus, so a resident whose needs grow can move from assisted living to memory care without leaving the community or starting over socially. That makes Bickford of West Des Moines a potential fit for someone whose care needs may change over time. The community has 66 beds and offers private rooms, giving each resident an individual room rather than shared accommodation.

Respite care provides a short stay when a family’s usual caregiver needs to travel or recover. Pets are allowed, so residents may keep a pet in the community, and salon services provide grooming on site. Dining includes homestyle food made from scratch. West Des Moines has a Walk Score of 59 out of 100 and is described as somewhat walkable, so some errands can be done on foot and a resident who no longer drives may be able to get out independently. Tesse Lester serves as the administrator.

Affiliated with the Jaybird Senior Living group, Sunset Park Place is a senior living community in Dubuque, Iowa, offering assisted living, memory care, and respite care. Christian Jordan serves as the administrator. The two-story community has 101 beds. It has been serving residents for 24 years and is located about 3.6 miles from downtown Dubuque.

Residents can choose from one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans ranging from about 500 to nearly 1,000 square feet. The community currently has an occupancy rate of about 47%, giving families more room availability than communities operating closer to full capacity. The area has a Walk Score of 36, which is somewhat walkable. A few nearby errands can be completed on foot, but most trips require a car.

Residents have access to an on-site dining room, a full-service salon and barbershop, indoor lounges, and outdoor common areas. Transportation services, fitness and recreation programs, and organized activities are also offered here. The community welcomes pets, allowing residents to keep a companion animal during their stay. Residents in memory care receive support from caregivers with specialized training as part of the community’s dedicated memory care program.

The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing conducts regular unannounced inspections of the community. Inspection reviews have covered routine compliance and procedures for incident reporting, documentation, and resident safety. More recent inspections found no concerns in these areas. Families considering Sunset Park Place may ask how these protocols are managed daily.

Overview of Bickford of Davenport

A beautiful senior living community that offers exquisite living options such as for residents of assisted living and memory care. Regardless of what kind of living option you are in, management and staff are guaranteed to provide resort-like accommodations with exceptional hospitality. The cozy home offers an environment where the holistic wellness of seniors is met. Bickford of Davenport strives to provide a comfortable lifestyle of everyday living for its assisted living seniors, making it an ideal place to call a new home. 

An assisted living with memory care community, expect that Bickford’s management promotes independence for its residents while receiving full daily support, housekeeping, transportation, and medication management.

Tucked away within the serene setting of Clinton, IA, Addington Place of Clinton is a blissful senior living community, offering assisted living and memory care services. The community offers residents with various apartment options, including one-bedroom, two bedroom apartments, and suite floor plans for a comfortable living experience. Ensuring residents live balanced, active, and happy lives, the community provides them with extensive support and care services provided by trained healthcare professionals.

The community also offers respite care services to residents dealing with illnesses or recovering from hospitalization or surgery, ensuring they have the care and support they need to get back on their feet. Residents also enjoy a full calendar of social events and activities to enrich their daily life. With its comprehensive services, vibrant programming, and nurturing environment, the community guarantees a comfortable retirement experience.

Overview of The Views of Cedar Rapids | RidgeView Assisted Living

The Views of Cedar Rapids | RidgeView Assisted Living provides assisted living and memory care in Cedar Rapids, IA. Assisted living offers help with daily tasks such as dressing, bathing, and medication while a resident maintains their own living space. Memory care provides a secured setting with supervision for someone at risk of wandering, so the community may be a good fit for a person living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.

The community has 88 beds, giving families a clear sense of its licensed residential capacity. Bella Curtis serves as the administrator.

The area has a Walk Score of 47 and is car-dependent, meaning most errands require a car or a ride. For a resident who no longer drives, routine trips outside the community would generally require transportation support.

The Heritage at Northern Hills sits on the north side of Sioux City, in the Teton Trace neighborhood of Woodbury County, at 4002 Teton Trace. It’s a two-story, 128-bed community that’s been open for 26 years, offering independent living, assisted living, and respite care under one administrator, Christy Nikkel. The neighborhood is car-dependent, with a Walk Score of 18: most errands mean getting in a car rather than walking down the block.

Inside, residents choose from studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom layouts. Right now 63 of the community’s 128 beds are filled, putting occupancy at 49 percent, well below full capacity. Care comes from a team that includes a registered nurse, licensed practical nurses, and certified medication aides, with support available around the clock.

Daily life includes a movie theater, a game room, a salon and barbershop, and a café, plus a restaurant-style dining room for meals. Transportation services help residents get to appointments or run errands without needing a car of their own. Pets are welcome here, so a move doesn’t have to mean parting with a dog or cat.

Iowa’s Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing reviews long-term care communities like this one for health and safety compliance. At The Heritage at Northern Hills, the themes that have come up in that process include medication management, staffing and staff credentials, and care planning and documentation.

With a mix of independent living, assisted living, and respite options in one place, this is a community built for families who want room to shift the level of care as needs change, without having to relocate to a different facility altogether.

Stirlingshire of Coralville provides assisted living and memory care in Coralville, IA. Assisted living offers help with daily tasks such as dressing, bathing, and medication while a resident keeps an apartment, while memory care provides a secured setting with supervision for someone at risk of wandering. The combination of care levels may be a good fit for a resident whose needs grow over time, because the resident can move to a different level of care without leaving the community.

The community has 40 beds, making it a smaller setting where staff and residents can get to know one another. Housing options include studios, one-bedroom apartments, and two-bedroom apartments, with the two-bedroom layout able to suit a couple moving together or someone who wants a companion. Located in the Weber neighborhood, the community is administered by Amy Kubik-Hasley, and pets are allowed so residents can bring a pet when moving in.

Administered by Bella Curtis, Ridgeview Assisted Living is an 88-bed assisted living community in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. With Michelle Van Dolah serving as administrator, the community sits on F Avenue NW, about 2.6 miles from the city center. Over its 26 years in operation, the home has become a settled part of the local care landscape, maintaining an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

The neighborhood scores 47 for walkability, meaning some nearby services are within walking distance, while most errands and appointments require transportation. The community’s location is easily accessible to shopping, dining, banking, and other daily needs in Cedar Rapids. The home offers a set of specialized care services: diabetic care, non-ambulatory care, and ancillary services alongside core assisted living support. 24-hour-staffing ensures help is there all the time. It bolsters an active lifestyle with on- and off-site activities, comprising devotional programming for occupants who cherish spiritual connection. A daily routine of baking fresh bread, served at the noon meal, mirrors the facility’s attention to small comforts that make a place homely.

The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing’s state inspections track the facility’s compliance with health and safety standards. For 22 years, Ridgeview Assisted Living has been operating under state oversight.